Jack Chambers, Minister of State at the Department of Transport: I thank the Acting Chairperson. I thank the House, and particularly everyone who has contributed to the debate over the past while and during earlier Stages, for the passage of this Bill. It is, as Senators will be aware, a short and focused Bill to address the worrying trend we have been witnessing on our roads. After the worst year on our roads in almost a decade in 2023, sadly we are currently on trend for a significantly worse year in 2024 and systemic action to turn this trend around is urgently needed. To bring about this change, the Bill targets three priority areas relevant to driver behaviour: increased sanctions through penalty point reform; mandatory drug testing at the scene of serious collisions to help tackling the growing issue of drug-driving; and the introduction of safer default speed limits.

With regard to speed limits, with the enactment of this Bill, I will be engaging with local authorities to move quickly and in a co-ordinated fashion to conduct their own speed limit reviews, and following that speed limit by-laws in accordance with the devolved powers that councillors have such as the new speed limit framework being implemented then.

As I said in the past, it is a much-needed Bill. Road safety impacts everyone on this island and a strong response is needed now. I thank all colleagues for their co-operation in both Houses for the quick passage of this Bill. Once it is signed into law, we will focus our attention on the important business of implementing the Bill's various provisions. I, again, thank everyone.

Gerry Horkan, Acting Chairperson: Before I bring in anyone else, and while I am in the Chair, I would like to say that I am also the Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications. I am aware of the work the Minister of State, and, indeed, that committee has put in dealing with this matter. It is a matter of huge concern to the wider public. Certainly to anyone involved in road safety, the figures are going in the wrong direction.

The four most common criteria are young people, at night and weekends, rural roads and speeding. It is important that we hammer that point home to everybody. Motorway detection and vigilance is important but most of the road deaths unfortunately are happening on rural roads, at night, at weekends and involving young people. We need to keep reinforcing that point.

I thank the Minister of State and everyone in the Road Safety Authority, in the Department and in wider civic society and the Garda, who are contributing in any way they can to reducing road deaths and, indeed, injuries because life-changing injuries happen as well in road accidents and can be incredibly traumatic for both the people involved and their families.

I will call Senator Keogan first. Then I will bring in Senators Dooley and Joe O'Reilly-----

Senator Sharon Keogan:I thank the Acting Chairperson.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Gerry Horkan): -----but this is not a Second Stage debate.

Senator Sharon Keogan: I will be brief. I welcome the passing of the Bill. The recent surge in road fatalities is deeply concerning with 188 lives lost in 2023 alone, marking the highest toll since 2014. As we conclude on this Bill, let us remember the lives lost and the families left devastated by these preventable accidents. It is imperative that we, as legislators, take decisive steps to curb dangerous driving practices and improve road safety for all.

One key aspect of the proposed legislation is the enhancement of the penalty points system which has proven effective in deterring reckless driving since its introduction in 2002. The changes outlined in the Bill are crucial in this regard and will be welcomed by responsible citizens throughout the country.

Across this country, people mark fatal accident spots with memorial plaques, flowers, statues and other temporary and bespoke features. I propose that it is something the Government and Deputy Jack Chambers, as he is the Minister of State, might look at. I propose the Government consider a national accident memorial plaque to mark places on our roadways where people have lost their lives, not only as a way to honour the victims but also to have a recognisable national symbol of road deaths. A distinctive recognisable symbol would act as a way to not only formally encourage road users to slow down but to also emotionally, even unconsciously, process the potential danger of their surroundings. It is an idea Deputy Jack Chambers, as Minister of State, might consider.

I welcome this Bill's passing this afternoon. I am happy to support this vital legislation and the proactive measures being taken by the Government to improve road safety. We cannot afford half-measures in addressing this critical issue, especially as the population grows and road traffic increases.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Gerry Horkan): I gave the Senator as much discretion as I could.

Senator Sharon Keogan: I thank the Acting Chairperson. I appreciate that.

Senator Timmy Dooley: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for the work that he has been doing in this difficult area. It is easy to be around when the plaudits are handed out when the trends are going the right way. It is a much different job when the trends are going in the wrong direction and when one has to take decisive measures. One has to introduce a set of criteria that are aimed at trying to get drivers to change their behaviour and there will be push-back against that in principle. It is great and it sounds good but when one starts reducing speed limits, one starts handing over authority to those who may not want it in certain circumstances because they would prefer somebody else to make the tough decisions. I appreciate the work the Minister of State is doing. It will have a significant impact on deaths on the roads over the medium term.

The overall apparatus we need to look at from a legislative point of view and a societal point of view is about changing behaviour. We can identify, as the Acting Chair rightly has, that the trend at the moment happens to be on rural roads among certain young people. However, that comes and goes. The truth of it is that it is about behaviour, respect for the road and respect for other road users. That should be implied in all legislative measures we bring through. I know there are people who will say that we do not need to reduce speed on the motorways and we do not need those check points where people are measured entering a particular zone, leaving and getting a fixed penalty notice at the end of it. If a person drives at significant speeds on the motorway, the likelihood is that when that person gets off the motorway, he or she will continue to drive well beyond the carrying capacity of the road. There needs to be an holistic approach from a legislative perspective and with regard to our education and re-education of drivers. We tend to put all the pressure and burden on young people. By and large, they respond well. They now have to go through a rigorous programme to pass their driver's test.

I like the idea about the drug and continued alcohol testing. There is information circulating that is anecdotal for sure but there seems to be a view now that younger people are starting to take risks again with drinking and driving. They are certainly doing it on the drugs side. That brilliantly was not the case for quite a number of years. There was a strong collegiate approach among young people. There was a designated driver. It was talked about, it was advertised and people had a condemnatory approach to anybody who drank and drove. My information from talking to people generally across the country is that is changing among young people. Kids are back chancing it again and we have to deal with it through information, education and campaigning. I wish the Minister of State well in the effort that is needed.

We also need to empower councillors more, not just in respect of speed limits but in putting in place traffic calming measures at certain areas. We know the black spots; they are well recognised. We need a programme of investment in black spots across the country and in general traffic calming measures anywhere close to rural residential areas that will help to change the behaviour. It is not always where the accident happens. It is about how a person goes about going from A to B, what they see and meet and what helps to frame their mindset for the rest of the day. If we research what works in other countries, we can turn the corner. However, it will not be easy because there is a significant growth in population and more people on the roads now than ever. We have a greater population of people from outside the country who are now driving and we are pushing tourism. All of these things play into the concerns that lead to accidents.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Gerry Horkan): I am probably giving a bit more discretion than I normally would, possibly because I am the Chair of the transport committee. It is an issue I am very concerned about. Equally, it is because we did the topic quickly. I invite Senator O’Reilly to speak as briefly as he can.

Senator Joe O'Reilly: It is obvious that the Acting Chair has a personal interest from his very informed comments as well.

I welcome the Minister of State. I also welcome his proactivity in this area and the fact he is very committed to it. His professional background as a doctor can only suggest that not only are the fatalities a horror for families but some people are left with life-long injuries that are a horror, life-changing in a detrimental way and detrimentally changing for whole families. It is a serious matter.

My colleague went through this very comprehensively and I will just go over one or two issues quickly. Obviously, alcohol is the old chestnut and there is no avoiding that. We must be rigorous in this regard. To paraphrase Senator Dooley, there is a lot of evidence from many sources that drug-driving is prevalent. Drug testing on a regular basis is crucial. There would be an assumption that drug testing was not taking place so that people would feel more comfortable. From my understanding, the effect of drugs can last for a number of days and weeks after intake in some instances, depending on the substance. That is a critical matter that needs addressing.