Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the promotion of road safety, including awareness campaigns and education. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct, detailed response in this respect. Please contact my office if a response is not received within ten days.
Pending this more detailed response, the Deputy may wish to note that the RSA has been directed to ringfence €18m for investment in road safety public interest work in 2026, maintaining the 2025 level of investment in this important area and ensuring that one-off expenditure increases in 2023 and 2024 are now embedded in budgeting and business planning.
There is close cooperation between my Department, An Garda Síochána and local authorities on road safety matters. Along with a range of other important stakeholders, both An Garda Síochána and the local authority sector, through the County and City Management Association, are represented on the Road Safety Leadership Group. I chair this Group, which meets quarterly to oversee implementation of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy. In addition, there is extensive official level engagement with both An Garda Síochána and local authorities in a range of areas, including the implementation of the 2023 Speed Limit Review. Changes to default speed limits on rural, local roads were implemented last February and the next phase, targeting urban roads, is now underway. In relation to road safety at schools in particular, a future phase will specifically seek to introduce safer periodic speed limits at schools.
The Safe Routes to School Programme was launched in March 2021 with the aim of supporting walking, scooting, and cycling to primary and post-primary schools, and creating safer walking and cycling routes within communities, through the provision of infrastructure interventions including, in some cases, School Zones. The programme is funded by my Department through the National Transport Authority (NTA).
