Having come in for major criticisms in the past year thanks to a rising death toll on Irish roads, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is officially being reformed.
Two new agencies
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Minister of State James Lawless have jointly announced the publication of a report into the RSA’s workings and structure. The biggest of the recommendations is that the RSA’s dual role of providing road-safety services, and its role in generally promoting road safety, should be split.
It basically means that the RSA will be split into two agencies - one which oversees the likes of driver licensing and testing, and the NCT system, and another which more generally acts to promote road safety through publicity campaigns. The Government has already signed off on a plan to enact all of this.
New RSA chair will be appointed
It will start with the establishment of a Departmental Group, which will consider how best to implement the report’s findings, while there will also be a new Road Safety Communications Steering Group, which will work with the RSA as it exists now, along with other stakeholders within and outside Government. A new chair of the RSA - the previous chair, Liz O’Donnell’s term having run out in October - will be directly appointed by Eamon Ryan to keep the agency running in the short term.
Speaking after today’s Government meeting, Minister Ryan said: “There has been a positive transformation in safety on Irish roads in recent decades. Since the establishment of the RSA, the number of annual road deaths declined from 365 in 2006 to a record low of 133 in 2021. The RSA can claim significant credit for its work in this regard. However, recent years have seen this long-term improvement go into reverse. Every single death is a tragedy for the victims’ families, friends and community, and it is incumbent on everyone working in the sector to look at what we’re doing and change the approach to ensure our roads are as safe as possible. This reform of the RSA and wider road safety structures aims to deliver a more effective whole-of-Government response to the deteriorating fatality and serious injury trends on Irish roads. After the end of her term as Chair of the RSA, I would also like to acknowledge the work of Liz O’Donnell over the last ten years. Liz guided the Authority through a number of significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent rising trend in road deaths, which has confronted all of us working in the sector. Liz can be proud, however, that under her stewardship in 2021, Ireland recorded its lowest number of road deaths since records began.”
Improved provision
Minister of State Lawless added: “Although there are still many issues to work through, the reform that we are announcing today will put a renewed and sharpened focus on road safety and help us to progress toward our long-term goal of Vision Zero, as set out in the Road Safety Strategy. By reforming the RSA into an agency with a singular operational focus and establishing a standalone entity to deliver wider public interest activities, I believe we will realise substantial benefits with improved provision of key road safety services.”
Reacting to today’s announcement, outgoing RSA Chair Liz O’Donnell said: “I welcome Minister Ryan’s acknowledgement of the achievements made by the RSA over 18 years in reducing fatalities and serious injuries and making roads safer for all. I want to thank the staff of the RSA, past and present, for their hard work and dedication since its inception. This is the core mission of the RSA, achieved with the support of the public and successive Governments. Notwithstanding a recent rise in fatalities, I believe this trend can be reversed with additional Exchequer resources and an all-of-government approach as set out in the Road Safety Strategy 2021-30. Ireland can continue to be a leader in road safety progress. The change in the future funding structure for road safety is to be welcomed, with additional Exchequer funding dedicated solely for campaigns, research and education to improve road safety outcomes. The self-funding model was no longer sustainable as was recognised by the review of the RSA, and notably, as was in evidence from the RSA running a deficit for two years. Too many families have endured road trauma and the grief of losing loved ones. As a society, we can continue to reduce this trauma by greater compliance and awareness of our responsibilities to each other as road users.”