Road Safety Authority must seek 'specific approval' for future campaigns
As In Irish Reform Rsa Rose Roads Crashes The Years, Fatal Gathered The Sharply Have Recent Calls On Number Of To Pace
The Road Safety Authority will have to seek “specific approval” from a Department of Transport-chaired group for its future campaigns, as the Government presses ahead with plans to reform the agency.
In a letter to RSA chief executive Sam Waide earlier this week, a senior department figure told him a ministerial order had been signed to give effect to the changes to the agency.
“Among the decisions of Government on 5 November on the reform of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), one was approval for the immediate establishment of a Road Safety Communications Steering Group,” assistant secretary general Keith Walsh wrote.
“The exact areas of responsibility for this new Group will be defined in its terms of reference, but will include the production of significant new campaigns, media buying strategy and important national road safety events, such as bank holiday weekend campaigns.”
Calls to reform the RSA have gathered pace in recent years, as the number of fatal crashes on Irish roads rose sharply. However, despite a start to the year which saw road deaths surge again, the number of fatalities on Irish roads this year (161) is eight below the same time last year.
At an Oireachtas committee hearing in the summer, Fine Gael TD Ciaran Cannon suggested there was a “huge conflict of interest” with the RSA’s bid to keep the roads safer when driving tests and NCTs were also in its remit.
He said: “Is it not the case that the more drivers we have on our roads, the more cars we have on our roads, the more income that accrues to the very authority that is responsible for maintaining safety on our roads?”
In reply, Mr Waide said he couldn't pre-empt a Government review, but he advocated for the RSA to have a role within road safety different than it was at the time.
The Government had signalled a change would be forthcoming, having commissioned a review from consultants Indecon on the RSA.
At the start of this month, a “radical transformation” was promised whereby the RSA would be split into two agencies, one focused on the delivery of services and operations, and the other responsible for wider road safety initiatives including media campaigns, education and research.
It said the self-funding model of the RSA was “no longer sustainable”. It also indicated the reforms would come into effect on a phased basis.
“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,” Minister for Road Safety James Lawless said.
At the time, the Government also said the road safety communications steering group would be established immediately to bring together the RSA communication leads, the department and other key stakeholders to ensure "coordination across upcoming campaigns".
In the letter sent to Mr Waide this week, the department signalled the ministerial order to begin this process had been signed with the new group to be chaired by the department and include “any senior staff of the authority deemed necessary”.
Mr Walsh said: “The establishment of this Group supports the decision of the Minister for Transport to ringfence €18m of RSA expenditure next year for investment in road safety public interest activities outside of operations and services.
“The Road Safety Authority [must also] seek specific approval from this Group in the areas identified by the Group’s terms of reference, including, but not limited to, the development of new campaigns, media buying and significant national road safety events.”