The chairman of the National Safety Council has called for a more structured investment in road safety in December's Budget as the number of traffic fatalities continues to rise. Joe Humphreys reports.
Five people were killed on roads in the Republic over the weekend and three in the North, including a motorcylist from Cavan.
Mr Eddie Shaw criticised the way in which road safety was funded on a "cash-flow basis", saying "multiannual budgeting" was called for instead. "We need to see road safety as an investment programme in the Budget where the benefits that flow in terms of the reduction in demand for accident and emergency and the use of hospital beds is quantified as one of the benefits in budgetary terms against the expenditure that takes place."
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's This Week yesterday, Mr Shaw also said there was "clearly a lack of support" within Government for the efforts of the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to deliver extra resources for road safety. "If road safety, and traffic policing, was given the same priority in the Department of Justice, and around the Cabinet table, that the Minister for Transport has given road safety in his Department, we would not be having this discussion."
Five people were killed in road accidents in the Republic over the weekend, bringing to 287 the number of casualties this year. This is an increase of about 40 over the same period in 2003.
A middle-aged man was killed when the car he was driving crashed at Ballyhooleen, Ballinhassig, Co Cork, shortly before 2 a.m. yesterday. Mr Gerry Delaney (48), Crossbarry, Co Cork, was alone in the car.
Two people were killed when the car in which they were travelling crashed on the N2 north of Castleblayney on Saturday. Mr Séamus Walsh (36), Castleblayney, Co Monaghan and Ms Teresa Murray (49), Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, were both passengers in the car which struck the wall of a bridge at Drumquill at 5.30 p.m.
The female driver of the car was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, suffering from minor injuries.
A truck-driver was killed when the cab he was driving crashed into a ditch at Newtownforbes, Co Longford, at 4.30 a.m. on Saturday. He was named as Mr Gerard Casey (46), Garrowhill, Drumlish, Co Longford.
In another single-vehicle crash, a teenage boy was killed when the van in which he was a passenger collided with a tree on Friday night in Birr, Co Offaly. He was named as Brian Guidera (15), McAuley Drive, Birr. Four other people were injured in the crash, which occurred at 11.30 p.m. at Clooneen, Cloghan, Birr.
In the North, three people were killed in separate accidents over the weekend. A woman was killed in a car crash at Cloughmills, near Ballymoney, Co Antrim, at 2 a.m. yesterday.
A young man, Mr Paul Harris (18), Duneoin Road, Cullybackey, died when the car he was driving left Tullygrawley Road, Ballymena and hit a pole at 10.15 a.m. yesterday.
And a motorcyclist, Mr Neill McPhillips (23), Kilmacross, Redhills, Co Cavan, died when his bike struck a telegraph pole at Roslea, Co Fermanagh, on Saturday.