Road Safety

I thank the Minister for being here to take this Topical Issue. It relates to pedestrian safety and, in particular, the need for pedestrians to be made safer through the introduction of traffic calming measures such as raised areas at pedestrian crossings. As the Minister knows, the trend in pedestrian deaths on our roads is going in the wrong direction. In 2025, 46 pedestrians lost their lives out of a total of 185 individuals who died on our roads. To reverse the trend in pedestrian deaths, we must invest in infrastructure to make our roads safer for pedestrians, including through the provision of footpaths, traffic calming measures and crossings that are safe and consistent. Consistency is critical. Pedestrian crossings in this country vary widely in their design and layout. We have controlled crossings such as signalised crossings and zebra crossings, we have uncontrolled crossings, we have crossings with ramps or raised areas and others with no such areas. We have crossings with different road markings, designs and layouts. That lack of consistency causes confusion and raises serious safety issues. I am calling for a consistency audit to be carried out on crossings nationally by local authorities. Confusion and hesitation are the enemy of safety. If there is confusion or hesitation for drivers and pedestrians, it can result in serious consequences. We also must consider vulnerable road users, including the elderly, the visually impaired and those with extra needs. We must provide for them in our design of pedestrian crossings. A fund needs to be set up at a national level. We know our local authorities do not have the funding available for the amount of work that needs to be done. I stress the importance of consistency. Pedestrian crossings across the country vary widely, as I said. It is critically important to make them consistent in order that drivers and pedestrians know what to expect. For that to happen, I ask that the Department of Transport set up a specific fund, whether it is allocated through the NTA, through active travel measures or otherwise, so that raised areas on crossings across the country can be retrofitted to act as traffic calming measures, to slow down vehicles in urban areas and to make the roads safer for pedestrians. This is of critical importance. I ask the Minister to look at this particular line item within the budget allocation he received this week for his Department to see whether he can establish a new fund to make pedestrian crossings safer across the country and reduce the number of pedestrians who lose their life on our roads.

I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of pedestrian safety. As he knows, the local authorities are charged with assessing the need for safety interventions using guidelines provided in both the design manual for urban roads and streets, DMURS, and in the requirements set out in the traffic signs manual. Under the regional and local roads grant programme, the Department of Transport provides supplemental funding to local authorities under several different grant categories, one of which is for low-cost safety improvements. In 2026, approximately €14 million was provided under this grant category, which funded over 300 projects. Additionally, €20 million was separately provided for specific improvement schemes, which can also provide for safety improvements, including pedestrian crossings. The traffic signs manual provides details of the traffic signs that may be used on roads in Ireland, including their layout, symbols, the circumstances in which each sign may be used and rules for positioning them. The manual currently sets out eight configurations of zebra crossings, with and without flashing beacons, that cater for pedestrians and cyclists. In 2024, the Department of Transport developed a new type of zebra crossing, type B, which utilises new signage rather than flashing beacons. Its design includes a flat-top ramp or raised platform built to approved design standards and guidelines. The removal of the flashing beacon removes the need for works associated with lighting and cabling, which can be difficult to install. It is a more efficient way of doing things, with a raised platform or ramp that differentiates itself from the road surface. The aim of the new crossing type is to allow local authorities to increase the number of crossing points and assist with active travel and pedestrian safety in urban areas. The Deputy mentioned the active travel budget, which will be approximately €363 million to €365 million this year. Just yesterday, we added 83 new schools to the safer routes to school programme, bringing the total to 608. Pedestrian and cyclist crossings are included as part of those works and, in addition, there are other line items under which the local authorities can access funding for that purpose. A crossing without a flashing beacon can only be used where the following conditions are met: the road has a posted speed limit of 50 km/h or lower and an 85th percentile speed less than 50 km/h; the road has only one traffic lane in each direction; there are two-way traffic flows of 500 vehicles per hour for crossings without a refuge island and 750 for those with a refuge island; approaching vehicles have clear visibility of any pedestrian waiting to cross and the tactile paving area of the footpath; and crossing locations have adequate street lighting. Generally, crossings for pedestrians are either signalised crossings or zebra crossings. Signalised crossings are usually located at junctions or in the middle of a particular road, known as a mid-block crossing, and they control traffic and pedestrian movements through traffic and pedestrian signals. Zebra crossings are pedestrian crossings marked by flashing amber beacons, alternate black and white stripes across the road and other markings. The Deputy raised the need to rationalise the number of different designs for pedestrian crossings across the country. There are funding streams to assist with that. The new raised platform model is a good one. It is easier to deploy and is, we believe, as effective as other designs. I take his point about this fitting within active travel measures. A lot of pedestrian crossings are included as part of the active travel design.

I thank the Minister. I appreciate his reply. There is some detail in it. It highlights the variations that are out there in terms of pedestrian safety, pedestrian crossings and design layout, for example, whether they have flashing beacons and whether they are signalised. Even signalised crossings vary because some of them have a flashing amber going from green to red, for example, and others do not. There is a complete lack of consistency here. Hesitation and confusion are the enemy of safety. People need to be clear about pedestrian crossings, how they are designed, the way they are laid out and exactly what to expect. What the Department introduced in 2024 in relation to the type B zebra crossing and the raised platform is welcome. I have seen them and I know the type of signage the Minister is referring to. They are quite effective. The fact that they do not need power and can be implemented at a lower cost and more readily is welcome. However, it highlights the lack of consistency. That is the key point I want to make today. We have to bring about consistency. For that to happen, local authorities need to undertake an audit of all their crossings. The Department has to establish funding, or at least reallocate it, so that retrofitting work can be done on existing crossings. The widespread variation that is out there is an issue from a safety point of view. We have to work on that. The idea of a raised area at a crossing should be an absolute requirement for any crossing. It should be raised, whether it is a controlled or an uncontrolled crossing. I recently had a gentleman in the passenger side of my car. He is a very experienced driver. I stopped at an uncontrolled crossing to let a pedestrian cross the road. I told him it was an uncontrolled crossing. He said he had been driving for a long time but had never realised that. There is an education piece here and a consistency argument that needs to be brought about. I thank the Minister for his reply. I ask him to try to put additional focus on this area.

The Deputy raised an important point about the lack of consistency. Certain designs suit certain areas. The type B raised platform is a good initiative and easier to deploy. Coincidentally, I met the Irish Road Victims Association yesterday. We need to do everything we can to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. As the Deputy said, we are seeing an increase in pedestrian deaths. We need to advance everything we can as regards road safety. I take the point on board regarding the lack of consistency and the proliferation of different signage and lighting. Following the Deputy's intervention, I will ask the Department to look at it again and rationalise it further. I am pretty confident that the funding we will be able to deploy for local authorities next year will enable them to take a step up in further delivery. I know that this does not relate to pedestrian crossings, but we provided a new line of funding last year to every local authority as regards replacing bus stops and raised platforms. That was significant funding. That is moving at pace now, but it shows what can be done if there is a particular focus. Each local authority received approximately €500,000 for bus stop replacement, raised platforms, ramps and that type of thing. I will personally look at this. The Deputy made a fair point about rationalisation and consistency. I am seeing improvements across the country. In my own town, new platforms have been put in. They work. For road users, particularly motorists, it is about understanding the different signage and different types of pedestrian crossing. I will ask the team to have a look at consistency. I will keep the Deputy directly informed. Funding should not be an issue next year. I ask the Deputy as he deals with Cork City Council and beyond to ensure that schemes that need to be delivered are delivered by the local authorities.