Opposition parties have condemned the Minister for Transport's failure to include specific measures to reduce road fatalities at the announcement of a series of initiatives and investment announced today.
The news comes as the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport is to hear from the Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy on the increasing rate of fatals crashes on Irish roads.
Transport Minister Martin Cullen today announced €1.5 billion investment as the first phase of his much derided Transport 21 plan. Work will start on 15 new projects this year, and 13 other key projects will be completed. A further 11 projects already under way will continue construction during 2006.
He also announced 31 new offences liable to punishment by penalty points, progress on the privitisation of speed cameras but further deliberation on legal problems associated with drink driving law.
But Oppostion parties said Mr Cullen had got his priorities wrong.
Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said: "Last weekend nine people died on the roads in the worst weekend for road deaths this year.
"I would suggest that instead of holding press conferences, Minister Cullen should go back to his office and stay there until he has implemented at least one road safety issue, all of which were previously launched with great fanfare.
She said the investment announced today had been previously announced "yet Minister Cullen wants to pretend it's something new".
She said Government appears powerless to deal with the mounting death toll on the roads, noting that this year's total is ahead of 2005 which was the worst year since 2001.
Labour's Roisín Shortall said Mr Cullen's failure to prioritise road safety has contributed to the carnage.
She said penalty points were first announced in 1998 and were due to include 69 offences and the latest move would only effective if backed up by Garda enforcement.
"The numbers in the Garda Traffic Corps are still hopelessly inadequate and unless drivers believe there is a probability of being caught they will not change their driving behaviour," she said.
She also questioned the Minister's committment to random breath-testing as means of tackling drink driving.
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy will be questioned about the issue by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport.
Committee chairman, Fianna Fáil TD John Ellis today said the committee was examining the possibility of a referendum on random breath-testing.
"Random breath-testing is not allowed under Irish law and would require passing a constitutional amendment to make it legal," he said.
Commissioner Conroy wil be assked for his views on on random breath-testing and why he thinks current powers are insufficient, Mr Ellis added.
The commissioner will also be asked to provide figures for the number of dismissed drink-driving cases and the reasons for the dismissals. "The Committee's legal advice is that some gardaí are not following proper procedures and cases are being lost."
The issue of untested, untaxed and uninsured vehicles from Eastern Europe wil also be raised.