Minister for Transport (Deputy Noel Dempsey): I propose to take Questions 48 and 41 together.

Road safety is a key priority for Government, and this commitment is underpinned by the Road Safety Strategy 2007-2012. We are still on target to meet the overall Road Safety Strategy target of reducing road deaths to no greater than 60 fatalities per million population by the end of 2012. This would equate to an average of 21 road deaths per month or 252 per year; the total for 2008 was 279 and the figure to date (7th July) is 128, down 15 on the same date last year.

The European Transport Safety Council report sees Ireland improve its standing from 9th position in 2007 to 6th position in 2008 out of the 27 EU Member States in terms of road fatalities per million of population.

42.  Deputy Liz McManus Information Zoom asked the Minister for Transport  the amount of funding which has been allocated to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety specifically to target drug driving for these years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28393/09]

Minister for Transport (Deputy Noel Dempsey):  The number of specimens tested for the presence of a drug or drugs by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety for the years 2005 to 2008 is as follows:

Figures for 2009 are not available at this time.

While my Department provides annual funding to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, the allocation of resources to the various programmes is a matter for the Bureau itself.

Vol. 687 No. 5
Written Answers
Thursday, 9 July 2009