THE NUMBER OF road deaths is rising faster in Ireland than anywhere else in Europe.

According to new figures by the European Commission, there were 31% more deaths from road traffic collisions in 2023 than there were in 2019.

That is compared to most other EU countries that saw a reduction in deaths in the same time period.

In 2023, 188 people died on Irish roads, up 33 on the previous year.

Now 10 months into 2024, 139 people have died in collisions, while Justice Minister Helen McEntee is saying “everything that can be done is being done to reduce the number of road deaths”.

The government has allocated €9 million for an additional 100 speed cameras.

Two average safety camera systems have also been installed on the N3 in Cavan and N5 in Mayo, which McEntee said are “problematic roads”.

Only six other countries in the EU saw an increase in deaths in the past five years, with Luxembourg in second place with an 18% rise, and Estonia in third with 13%.

The data shows there was an 8% rise in road deaths in Austria, a 4% increase in both Sweden and the Netherlands, and a 3% increase in Spain.

Today, the first meeting of the Road User Safety Forum took place today.

The forum, led by Minister of State with special responsibility for Road Safety James Lawless, consists of various stakeholders, such as emergency responders, young people, cyclists and road safety activists.

They will contribute to phase 2 of the Road Safety Strategy. This phase covers 2025 to 2027.

The group is expected to meet another three times over the coming months.