Road Traffic Accidents
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-26
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Jerry Buttimer (FG), Cork South-Central

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.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-26