352. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether there are sufficient deterrents in place to reduce poor driving behaviour including the use of mobile phones while driving, speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19920/26]
353. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding engagement he is having with the RSA that seeks to reduce poor driving behaviour including the use of mobile phones while driving, speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19921/26]

Seán Canney, Minister of State at the Department of Transport: I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 353 together.

The four main causes of deaths on our roads are speeding, distracted driving including use of a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt and intoxicated driving, all of which are offences under road traffic legislation. Failing to obey the speed limit may result in a driver being issued 3 penalty points and a Fixed Charge Notice (FCN) to the value of €160 by a member of An Garda Síochána. If this FCN is not paid within 28 days, it is then increased to €240. Similarly, using a mobile phone while driving may result in a driver being issued 3 penalty points and a FCN to the value of €120 by a member of An Garda Síochána. If this FCN is not paid within 28 days, it is then increased to €180. An initial FCN of €120 and three penalty points also applies to non wearing of a seatbelt. In addition, a person found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be subject to a €5000 fine and or up to 6 months in prison as well as being disqualified from driving.

The Road Traffic Act 2024 also introduced mandatory drug testing at the scene of a serious collision, which came into effect in May 2024. This requires members of An Garda Síochána to conduct roadside drug tests at the scene of a crash. In addition under provisions in the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, members of An Garda Síochána now have access to the Irish Motor Insurance Database, which provides insurance information at the roadside through automatic number plate recognition technology and allows for uninsured vehicles to be detected and seized.

My Department is also progressing a significant legislative programme. The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill is targeted for enactment by the summer and will, among other measures, 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. The next Road Traffic Bill is also under development to advance Programme for Government commitments around graduated speeding penalties and the camera enforcement of mobile phone and seatbelt offences.

Enforcement of road traffic legislation falls under the remit of An Garda Síochána. Tackling these behaviours also comes down to education and driver awareness.

A number of significant national campaigns were delivered by the RSA in 2025 targeting these dangerous behaviours. These included

• a speed awareness campaign for the reduction from 80km/h to 60km/h speed limits.
• a TV-led Drug driving campaign, highlighting the Gardaí’s ability to test for drugs at the roadside.
• a Drink Driving campaign designed to challenge the social acceptability of drink driving.

There has also been a significant increase in spending on public awareness, communications and education campaigns by the RSA. In 2026 the RSA has again ringfenced funding of €18 million for awareness, education and promotional campaigns, which matches the funding level from 2025. This will ensure a continued focus on campaigns that make our roads safer for all road users, including and especially vulnerable road users. The Road Safety Communications Steering Group established in 2024, and which brings together the RSA communication leads, my Department and other key stakeholders including the Department of Justice and AGS continues to work to ensure coordination across road safety campaigns.

The RSA is also focused on education initiatives. The Road Safety Matters transition year programme was piloted during the 2024-2025 academic year with the RSA successfully delivering training to teachers from almost 140 schools nationwide, representing over 12,700 students. The Programme entered phase 2 in 2025 and is continuing at pace. In 2026 the RSA aims to complete a national rollout to all 730 post-primary schools offering TY. Key units on this programme focus on alcohol, drugs, distracted driving and seatbelts.