Byrne accuses Government of lack of interest in road safety

The chairman of the Road Safety Authority, Gay Byrne, has accused the Government – in particular Minister for Justice Alan Shatter – of having little or no interest in road safety.

Mr Byrne was speaking in the wake of the resignation on Thursday of the chief executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Noel Brett, who is quitting the RSA to take up a role with the Irish Banking Federation.

Mr Byrne said he was “cast down and completely depressed, but not surprised” by Mr Brett’s decision. He said he believed the lack of emphasis on road safety by the Government in general was “at least in part” responsible.

Snipe shooting
He also said he believed that Minister for Justice Alan Shatter "has about as much interest in road safety as I do in snipe shooting".

Mr Shatter denied the accusation and said road safety had been a priority this year.

Mr Brett’s tenure at the RSA coincided with record reductions in the numbers of people being killed on Irish roads, and the introduction of reduced alcohol levels for drivers, as well as increased vehicle and driver testing.

While Mr Brett did not want to be drawn on the reasons for his departure, he did say he was "looking forward to getting out from some of the frustrations" of the public sector, "such as employment control".

Mr Byrne said the fear now was that “all of the progress that the Irish people have made” in recent years might unravel. “Enforcement is way down,” he said.

In a statement last night, Mr Shatter’s department refuted the accusation. It said he was committed to providing garda investment in spite of the economic conditions in which the Government must operate.