We have seen an incredible loss of life this week and in the past number of years on our roads and our thoughts this morning are with the people who have died and were injured and the families. Everything we say is couched in that tragedy and loss of life, and I thank Deputy Whitmore for her very important question. The Government has, as the Deputy will be aware, prioritised phase 2 of Vision Zero. The Government's current road safety strategy has the target of halving deaths and serious injuries on our roads this decade, or no more than 72 deaths by 2030. Achieving this reduction based on an annual straight-line projection, the phase 1 action plan published in 2021 noted that deaths in 2024 would have had to be no higher than 122. Regrettably, we saw 171 road deaths in 2024. Any death on our roads is one too many and behind that death is a family, a loved one, a friend and a community where lives are being irreparably damaged by the loss of a loved one. Obviously, we are all working collectively and collaboratively to ensure that our roads are safer. Think of the people who have life-altering injuries from a road traffic collision. For these reasons, the only acceptable long-term target for road deaths and injuries is Vision Zero, and the Government remains committed to this goal. Achieving our 2030 target will require even greater efforts and a steeper rate of decline during phases 2 and 3. It is imperative that we address the upward trend of recent years in the first instance and, in that context, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I do not believe it would be helpful to set a specific target for next year when we already have a clear objective for 2030. A range of important work is already under way across a variety of bodies and stakeholders to restore our long-term road safety progress, and we made huge progress on our annual road deaths, which saw a significant fall.

Sentiment score: 0.07

I am conscious that today there are families bereaved and people injured. Everything we do, from a Department point of view, we will do to ensure that our roads are safer.

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The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, who is responsible for road safety, sends his apologies that he cannot be here today. He has engaged, as have I and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on a variety of areas. The RSA has initiated a number of significant national public awareness campaigns on speed, drug driving, road safety for e-scooter users and motorcyclists, and road behaviour. I share the Deputy's concerns, but if I can make a generic point, we must look at this in the round and have an honest conversation about driver behaviour. Roads are now shared spaces and are not the preserve of one entity or group. They belong to all of us and we all have an obligation and responsibility. I am not in any way casting dispersions on anybody. We all know people who have been injured or killed on our roads. We must look at enforcement and behaviour and, in particular, we must reflect upon speed, the use of drugs and the use of mobile phones. I will happily work with the Deputy, as will the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, on achieving a better outcome for us all. We all use the road and see the behaviour. The Department is putting pressure on the RSA to work and engage in campaigns.

Sentiment score: 0.22

Enforcement is very important. However, we cannot have a garda on every street corner and junction, as the Deputy will accept. We are using technology and speed vans and increasing the use of average speed zones. The Department has invested in the safe routes to school programme and we have seen an increase in the number of gardaí on the roads engaged in enforcement. Just yesterday morning, when I was driving in here at 7.45 a.m., I saw a Garda Síochána checkpoint on Mount Street, which is very welcome. I take the Deputy's point and I will happily work with her on this. The Department, working with the RSA and An Garda Síochána, will do whatever we can, but there comes a point when we have to talk to ourselves about personal responsibility. Look at the figures on the increase in drink driving and drug driving. I do not understand, in 2026, how any person can sit behind the wheel of a car, lorry or motorbike, having consumed excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs. I am not sure if the Deputy saw the RTÉ documentary two weeks ago, on which a very brave family bereaved as a result of a road traffic accident in County Waterford spoke. Their young son died in the accident. It was powerful and I commend the families on taking part. With that comes responsibility, and we will do what we can. I take the Deputy's point on enforcement, and we must embrace modern technology too. Will we see an avalanche of complaints from certain people because we are using new technology? I do not know but I hope we will not. I will work with the Deputy, and I thank her for raising this important matter. We both agree that there are families in mourning. They are front and centre in our minds.

Sentiment score: 0.12

I thank Deputy Cooney for raising the matter with me this morning. It is a very important question. Like the Deputy, and Deputy Whitmore who asked a question earlier, we are very much concerned with the loss of life on our roads. Everything we do is about reducing fatalities and accidents on roads. As the Deputy is aware, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on these roads are funded from the councils' own resources and supplemented by State road grants. Of these grants, the vast majority are targeted at the maintenance and renewal of the network with approximately 10% of the remaining funding invested in new roads and bridges or for road realignments. Each local authority is the roads authority within its own administrative area. The selection of roads for the installation of road studs or cat's eyes, as we know them, is a matter for the technical staff within the local authority. They will take road condition, road width, suitability for road studs or road hazard markers into account. The criteria for road studs or cat's eyes are contained in the traffic signs manual published by the Department of Transport two years ago. Section 7.10.1 outlines how road studs should comply with European standards and should be of a type approved for use by the Department of Transport. Section 7.10.2 deals with urban speed limit zones, which are being reviewed. I agree with Deputy Cooney that for unlit roads cat's eyes and studs play a role. In my own area of Cork, I cannot understand why TII took away the overhead lights on the N40, making the road dark now. I agree with the Deputy that the more lighting we have, the better it is for motorists and road users. It is a question that we might need to reflect upon on further, in particular in rural areas as the Deputy mentioned. I thank him for raising the matter in particular on our narrow country roads. I will talk to him further on it.

Sentiment score: 0.17

I again thank Deputy Cooney again for raising this very important matter. As he knows, last week the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, announced a road funding programme to the tune of €780 million for regional and local roads across the State. While there is no dedicated programme for local authorities regarding the use and implementation of road studs, each local authority has a discretionary grant in its annual allocation. The total for this year is €86.2 million. Councils have that discretionary spend which can be used in improvement and maintenance works. As Minister of State at the Department of Transport, I would encourage all local authorities to inspect their road studs on a regular basis to identify some of the issues the Deputy highlighted. He mentioned west Clare and Clare. There is deterioration and there are areas that need to be enhanced and improved. The local authority has a role in that. From a departmental point of view, we keep everything under review. Road safety and the enhancement of our roads are priorities for us. In the roads programme we have allocated resources in that area. I would be happy to talk to the Deputy further on that.

Sentiment score: 0.28

I concur with the overarching thrust of what Deputy Cooney said. Our current road safety strategy is very much about what he said - reducing speed and improving road conditions. I reiterate the point that local authorities have that discretionary spend and have the option to spend on what the Deputy has said. The points he makes about road studs and cat's eyes are very valid. Local authorities should utilise the carrying out of maintenance renewal works in terms of pavement improvement schemes and road studs where applicable as part of the roads programme. There is a fund available for them to use. It is built into their budget for roads. Senator Noel O'Donovan has proposed that we look at our verges and drains, and the Deputy has made the point here today. These are issues that we can look at and perhaps incorporate more into our road safety strategy. What he is talking about is low cost in the main and it makes sense. He is right that early in the morning and late at night the visibility is poor. It is something we need to look at and I would be happy to talk to him further about it.

Sentiment score: 0.12