I too extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Grace Lynch. Her death leaves an unfillable void in their lives and the lives of her friends and the wider community. Regarding the accident that happened in Dublin city centre this afternoon, our thoughts are with the families who are affected by that accident and everybody involved. Yesterday, we announced that we will introduce regulations as a matter of urgency to further prohibit the use of scramblers and strengthen the existing enforcement powers that An Garda Síochána has in relation to the dangerous use of scramblers and powers of seizure. These regulations will be introduced within a matter of weeks. Currently, under the Road Traffic Act 1961, a mechanically propelled vehicle, such as a scrambler, can only be legally used in public places if it is registered, taxed, insured, roadworthy and has a registration plate. The driver must hold the relevant driving licence. Most scramblers are designed for off-road use only and do not meet these requirements. Their use on the road is illegal. To further strengthen the legal position and help tackle the antisocial use of scramblers and other off-road vehicles, the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 introduced three new provisions. It is now an offence to drive dangerously in any location, not just in public places. Gardaí have the power to seize vehicles being driven dangerously. The Minister for Transport can make regulations to restrict certain vehicles or classes of vehicles in particular locations. These three provisions are designed to work as a package and should be read together. They were all commenced in July 2023, one month after the enactment of the Act. Since commencement, off-road scramblers are no longer just illegal for use in public areas. It is illegal to drive them dangerously anywhere, even on private land. More importantly, gardaí have the full power to seize a scrambler being driven dangerously in any location. They can enter the curtilage of a dwelling to retrieve a scrambler after the fact. These powers are being used. Since 2023, over 1,000 scramblers, e-scooters and quad bikes have been seized. The measures I outlined represent a comprehensive legislative response to the dangerous use of off-road scramblers. It must be emphasised that using them on our roads is already illegal. The new regulations will help bring additional legal clarity to the existing position that scramblers are banned for use on the road in almost all circumstances. The regulations being prepared will explicitly prohibit the use of vehicles such as scramblers in a public place while continuing to allow for legitimate off-road recreational and agricultural uses. They will make the use of a vehicle, such as a scrambler, in these prescribed locations an offence, building on the current position where a member of An Garda Síochána has to form a reasonable belief about dangerous use before it can be seized. They will also increase the charges that accrue each day after a scrambler has been seized to reduce the number of seized vehicles that are released and end up back on our roads. While the focus has rightly been on scramblers in recent weeks, as we approach the two-year mark since e-scooter regulations were introduced in May 2024, it is now appropriate that we look at the evidence and consider if additional regulation is warranted to promote road safety in relation to e-scooters. Proposals on this front will be presented to the Government shortly. The current national framework for road safety is set out in the Government’s fifth Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, which was launched in December 2021. The strategy aligns with EU and UN targets and is based on the safe systems approach. It aims to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 50% this decade and to achieve Vision Zero, or as close as possible to no deaths or serious injuries on our roads, by 2050. In July 2025, I published phase 2 of the action plan under the road safety strategy, which will run from 2025 to 2027. In total, the plan contains 12 primary and 77 support actions, with the potential to deliver transformative changes. Actions will be delivered through partnership and collaborative working by road safety stakeholders. Some of the key actions include: investing significantly into new and improved active travel and public transport; expanding network safety analysis of the road network to identify high-risk locations, guide investment decisions and prioritise safety interventions including for the local road network; implementing in full all actions of the phase 2 action plan based on the 2023 speed limit review; and reviewing and overhauling our learning to drive curriculum. Implementation of the speed limit review published in 2023 is a key action under the road safety strategy. The review made three principal recommendations: a reduction in the default speed limit on rural local roads from 80 km/h to 60 km/h, the introduction of a 30 km/h default speed limit in built-up and urban areas, and a reduction in the default speed limit on national secondary roads from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. The first of the recommendations came into effect on 7 February 2025, when the default speed limit on rural roads decreased from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. This represented a reduction in speed on 80% of the road network in Ireland. This impacts approximately 83,000 km of Ireland's 102,000 km network. It involved the installation of approximately 27,000 new poles and over 50,000 new signs. With respect to the second of the recommendations, namely, the introduction of the 30 km/h default speed limit in built-up and urban areas, following direction from the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, my Department issued a circular to local authorities on 16 October 2025 requesting that they implement built-up and urban areas speed limits no later than 31 March 2027. The proposed speed limit changes in urban areas will be implemented by way of special speed limit by-laws. Accordingly, in respect of those roads in urban areas for which local authorities propose to change existing speed limits, local authorities will undertake a statutory public consultation process and consider all representations, in accordance with the requirements of the Road Traffic Act 2004, as amended. The approach that is now being followed recognises and respects the positive and important role local authorities and their elected members fulfil in setting speed limits in urban areas. The period of statutory public consultation will provide an opportunity for members of the public and stakeholders to engage with the process and to make representations to local authorities and their elected members on the proposed speed limit changes. The third recommendation under the proposed speed limit changes concerns the reduction of the default speed limit on national secondary roads from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. While the Road Traffic Act 2024 made legislative provision for this change, it has not yet been commenced as a further legislative change is required to ensure local authorities will be permitted to set a special speed limit of 100 km/h on certain national secondary roads, where appropriate. That amendment will be progressed in the national vehicle and driver file Bill. The increased deployment of safety cameras in the coming years is a key action to be delivered under the phase 2 action plan of the road safety strategy. This action, which is being delivered collaboratively by road safety partners, aligns with commitments in the programme for Government. Work on the first national safety camera strategy is now at an advanced stage. My Department is working closely with road safety stakeholders, including the National Transport Authority, NTA, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and An Garda Síochána, on how best to implement it. The strategy focuses on speeding, red light running and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offences in future. It is expected that the strategy will be approved in the coming weeks. Once in place, it will provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. While work continues on finalising the strategy, camera enforcement has been increasing. There are 9,000 hours of GoSafe monitoring carried out on our roads each month. Since late 2024, An Garda Síochána has worked with TII and local authorities to install three additional average speed camera zones and nine static camera locations. Long-standing issues are also being addressed. Currently, learners can renew their permits multiple times if they have booked or scheduled a driving test. This will no longer be the case. In November, I signed regulations to ensure learner drivers can no longer repeatedly renew their permits without taking a driving test. These regulations will come into effect on 1 November 2026. Learners who have held a permit for seven years or more will not be able to renew and will have to restart the learning to drive process. For learners in category B, this means taking a theory test, obtaining a learner permit, taking 12 essential driver training lessons and sitting a practical test. Seven years is more than enough time for learners to complete the learning process and become qualified drivers. From a road safety perspective, it is vital that learners are encouraged to complete the learning to drive process and become fully qualified drivers and that people are not encouraged to hold learner permits without ever taking a driving test. Road safety is promoted by ensuring all learners meet a high standard of ability, attain sufficient driving experience and training and prove their ability to drive safely by passing a driving test. We are also progressing a significant legislative programme. The national vehicle and driver file Bill is a priority for the current legislative term. I aim to see it enacted before the summer recess. The Bill contains a range of provisions to modernise road safety enforcement, improve the use of data and address identified gaps in road traffic legislation. Among other measures, the Bill will: provide a clear legislative basis for local authorities to directly receive and process road collision data; abolish the requirement to display a motor tax disc as part of the wider paperless windscreen project; allow a jury to consider a charge of careless driving where a defendant is acquitted of dangerous driving, thereby addressing a gap identified in Judge Haughton's report into the death of Shane O'Farrell; and provide legislative clarity on the application of penalty points in multiple-offence incidents, ensuring drivers committing more than one offence in a single incident receive multiple sets of penalty points. My officials are also progressing the next road traffic Bill to take forward key programme for Government commitments. A general scheme will be presented to the Government in the coming months. Among other things, the Bill will provide for a graduated penalty points system designed to strengthen deterrence and address repeat offending. It will also make provision for camera enforcement of seat belt and mobile phone offences, building on existing non-intercept Garda powers in relation to speed. The safety of all road users continues to be supported through improvements in infrastructure and services. To that end, in 2025, approximately €600 million in Exchequer capital funding was allocated through TII to local authorities for national roads. This included funding for measures to maintain and improve the existing national road network, in addition to funding for new national road projects such as the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy, the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge and the Adare bypass. In addition, €33 million in current funding was provided to local authorities to carry out regular maintenance activities on the network. A further €713 million was allocated to regional and local road grants in 2025, with approximately 90% of the funding directed towards maintenance and renewal works. This funding has supported local authorities in carrying out an extensive programme of maintenance and restoration works. It also supported various safety improvement works, bridge rehabilitation schemes, drainage works, climate adaptation measures, community involvement projects and the maintenance of former national roads. In addition to maintenance, targeted improvements are a priority. This action has been identified for progress under the national development plan. The 2026 allocations for national, regional and local roads will be finalised and announced shortly. Education and public awareness campaigns are also key to promoting safer behaviours on our roads. Primary action 9C of the road safety phase 2 action plan specifically addresses the expansion of road safety education programmes to deliver sustained interventions for young people from primary school through to third level. The new Road Safety Matters transition year programme was piloted during the 2024-25 academic year and exceeded expectations, with the RSA successfully delivering training to teachers from almost 140 schools and more than 12,700 students nationwide. In 2026, the RSA aims to complete a national roll-out to all 730 post-primary schools offering transition year. In addition, the RSA aims to scale its junior cycle road safety education for children aged 13 to 16 years, with a view to launching a national roll-out next year. In 2025, the RSA launched its new third level education initiative, engaging students at 62 campus events and reaching approximately 8,955 young people nationwide. The programme's mission is to empower 17- to 24-year-olds to make safer road choices by embedding road safety into everyday student life. In 2026, the RSA will proactively re-engage every third level campus in Ireland and roll out a new phase of student-led road safety communications. As part of budget 2025, €18 million of RSA funding was ring-fenced for road safety public interest activities, including awareness, education and promotion campaigns. This was part of a wider shift to bring a renewed focus on campaigns that make our roads safer for all users. Significant new national campaigns were delivered in 2025, including a drug-driving campaign and a major new drink-driving campaign. This approach will continue in 2026, with €18 million once again set aside for similar campaigns and initiatives. Road safety is an all-of-society concern and it is beholden on all of us to make better choices for safer roads. Recent tragedies bring into sharp focus the human cost of every fatality on Irish roads. Any death is one too many. Work continues to progress on delivering our road safety targets but much is yet to be done to protect lives on our roads. I look forward to the contributions of Deputies on this very important topic.

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I will not be here for the end of the debate but I will give the Deputy-----

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