Road safety issues must be dealt with to protect South Kildare road users — TD

Current road safety issues must be dealt by the government in order to protect South Kildare road users, one Kildare-based TD has said.

Sinn Féin TD Patricia Ryan has called on the government to 'act urgently' to reduce road deaths, following news that 74 people have already lost their live on the roads in 2024.

Speaking on road safety in the Dáil, Ms Ryan questioned the government’s action in cutting €150 million from the Road Safety and Maintenance budget in Budget 2024, adding that she was 'completely aback' by the amount.

Elaborating further on her point, Ms Ryan said: "There is no doubt that the budget cuts are having an effect on road safety.

"The numbers are absolutely terrifying: 72 lost lives, 67 collisions, with 70 per cent of these of rural roads."

Patricia Ryan, TD for Kildare South (Sinn Féin).

She continued: "This year is barely halfway through and deaths on our roads are already more than the same time last year – these were people with families, friends... each life lost is a tragedy and every action must be taken to prevent such loss of life.

"My own constituency of Kildare South is very much a rural area, and I have made countless representations to Kildare County Council, asking for road repairs, and traffic calming measures such as speed signs, ramps etc to be installed in certain areas, only to  be told 'there is nothing in the budget' for any such measures."

"I am still waiting for the Safety Plan for the Barraderra Road in Monasterevin, which is notorious for collisions."

Ms Ryan further said: "The Athy to Carlow Road, for instance, had more than half the vehicles on it over a seven-day period were speeding, some travelling more than 120 kilometres per hour, and would obviously benefit from some speed signs. 

"The reduction in garda numbers and vehicle in the area is a huge factor in the gardai’s ability to enforce road safety laws, and the deterrents must fit the crime."

"I will continue to press Kildare County Council for badly needed road safety measures in this area, and to call on the government to properly resource road safety measures, to halt the loss of life, particularly on rural roads, both in Kildare and country wide," she concluded.