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LAST UPDATE | 3 Jul 2024
TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS told the Dáil this afternoon that reports of four fatalities on Irish roads today and yesterday were a “stark reminder of the importance of road safety and the dangers on our roads”.
In a separate incident, a man in his 50s died when the car he was driving crashed into a roadside ditch on the R395 at Teevrevagh near Castlepollard, Co Westmeath.
The single-vehicle collision was discovered at around 6.40pm yesterday. Gardaí investigating the incident said this evening that the incident may have occured in previous days.
Another fatal collision in Co Westmeath occurred early this morning, in which a man in his 80s died.
This two-vehicle collision occurred on the R394 at Gartlandstown Castlepollard, Co Westmeath at around 5.30am.
The deceased was a passenger of one of the cars and the driver, a woman in her 60s, was brought to the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore for treatment to serious injuries.
The driver and passenger of the second car, two men in their 30s and 20s respectively, suffered injuries which are not believed to be life threatening and were brought to hospital.
“I know that communities in Mayo and in Westmeath have been devastated by the news of this loss of life,” said Harris in the Dáil earlier today.
“I know I join with everybody in this house in sending our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have died.”
Harris noted that the number of lives lost on Irish roads now stands at 97 so far this year.
I just wanted to really acknowledge that as a stark reminder of the importance of road safety and the dangers on our roads.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald also extended her “sympathy and solidarity to the families of those precious lives that were lost”, while Labour leader Ivana Bacik said it was “appalling to hear of four deaths in such a short space of time”.
She said the 97 road deaths so far this year are a “horrific figure at a time when we should be seeing reductions in the numbers of road fatalities”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty acknowledged that road fatalities so far this year are up on the same period last year.
He said there was a “particularly bad first quarter” when 59 people died on Irish roads, compared to 42 in the first quarter of 2023.
Geraghty said this “trend improved during the second quarter of this year” when there were 34 fatalities compared to 41 during the same period last year.
While Geraghty said “things had improved on our roads”, he added that this is “not a good start” at the beginning of the summer months.
He appealed to everyone, “no matter what mode of transport you’re using”, to take care on the roads and noted that there have been fatalities involving e-scooters, motorcycles and quad bikes in recent weeks.
Geraghty said using the road “is the most dangerous thing that you will do every day” and appealed to motorists to “slow down and for everybody to take care of themselves on the roads”.
He added that gardaí carrying out 30 minutes of high visibility policing during shifts is something that is “happening, ongoing and will continue into the future”.
“There’s no intention of that being dropped back,” said Geraghty, who added that “initial statistics showed a significant increase in the level of activity on the roads by gardaí”.
He said the operation is “not all about enforcement” and is also “about increasing the visibility on our roads to try and moderate driver behaviour”.
Our aim is to prevent these accidents from happening in the first place, rather than having to investigate them afterwards.”
Geraghty also said the “starting point” of reducing fatalities is for road users to be mindful that they have an “obligation to use the road safely for every other road user”.
“No matter how many members of An Garda Síochána we would have out there, we would not be able to be on every kilometre of road in the country or at every junction in order to monitor people’s behaviour,” said Geraghty.
“When people get behind the wheel of a car or a motorbike, they have a responsibility to take care and to ensure that everybody on our roads stays safe.”
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Simon is deeply worried
Simon is deeply concerned
What politician is going to be deeply what . next ?
@ballbreaker: Minister for Truly, Madly.
@ballbreaker: too much listening to savage garden I think… Fly him to the moon someone!
@Brown Boots: I was humming to Right Said Fred’s deeply dippy
Simon should just grow a pair and stop watching the media
@ballbreaker: will North Korea target the People’s Republic of Cork?
Minister Coveney stated that we should “Deploy the fleet” before being hurriedly ushered off stage.
@Tom: lol
@Tom: our only military ship is busy working as a taxi for migrants
@Tom: I feel such a huge sense of relief hearing that Mr Coveney is so outraged!
@Alt Left: we do have more than one ship you know.
@Piarais Mac Maoláin: brilliant
@Tom: Comment of the day!
@Piarais Mac Maoláin: N1
Coveney’s on fire.
North Korea’s missile defence system is terrified.
@Keelan O’neill: when will the the ANTI WAR movements start organising protests against north Korean regime. .!!
@Bobby wilson: They are saving theirs angst for whoever dares confront Commie Kims.
Simon Coveney was an utterly dismal failure as Minister for Housing.
Why is he still a minister?
(Actually why is he even a TD? He didn’t earn hhis seat. He just inherited his Dad’s)
a bit like kim jong un…..
@Colin Morris: True, he just about scraped enough preferences to be elected. He looks the part but lacks the qualities to be a minister although in fairness he is brilliant at telling lies.
@Colin Morris: he did nothing for the badgers either when he was Minister for people with tractors. Oh, dem culls are terrible and not very scientific but sure we’ll keep going with them anyway. Lot of outrage. Little in the way of doing.
In other news, Khaltmaagiin Battulga the president of Mongolia has expressed deep concern at the increase in homelessness in the Republic of Ireland.
Sinister Coveney during an interview on Morning Ireland made an impassioned plea that, “Measures are in place” for the island of Ireland should the world fall prey to a nuclear holocaust and that these measures would be fully implemented by July 31st 2018.
@Frank Cauldhame:
Will Iodine tablets be sent to all households again, I still have mine.
@Liam P Lally: “I would ask that anyone applying for iodine tablets would first be sure to visit our website, http://www.iodine-innit.ie, to find out which variant of iodine to use and the turnaround times for receiving same.”
@Frank Cauldhame: do you need a PSC ?
@lavbeer: Erm, its not compulsory but…..
@Liam P Lally: they have long passed their expiry date, another incredible waste of money by our government, I think FF were in power when they were sent to every house.
Maybe Team America was right and he’s just ronery and he’s crying out for attention.
@Barry O’Brien: he used to be bellicose you know. But that was 2016
Thank God we have a top of the range a missile deflector system in place.Those two army Cessna planes are on standby.Oh,and we have a few lads with rifles too.Ah sure we’re grand.
@gerry fallon: The problem is, Gerry, you would need pilots to fly those two planes.
Here’s an idea simon, how about worrying about the homeless, suicide, and hospital waiting lists in Ireland you muppet.
North Korea can wait.
@Trevor Hayden: but he sorted that by July didn’t he..
Most worthless and useless headline and statement that was ever written right there!!
@Nigel O’Neill: ___Why? It’s not unusual for politicians to make pronouncements about other countries’ actions. It provides a mechanism for a country to engage in discussing its national response and indeed, in some cases, actions. Or, perhaps you feel Ireland should not have that right?
In this same statement he also went full North Korea by encouraging the British government to discard the democratic decisions of the British people to leave the EU.
The poor thing. He must be very stressed. How about worrying about the lack of housing or something meaning to the country?
Eh, get your geography right, Journal.ie. The missile crossed Hokkaido and landed in the Pacific Ocean. The Sea of Japan lies between Japan and Korea, or, in other words, off the west coast of Hokkaido. The missile landed off the east coast of Hokkaido, the Pacific Ocean.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: Jesus who cares? Somewhere near Japan was good enough for me. I never heard of that Ireland sized country before Hokithido before.
Kim Jong-un must be beside himself knowing Coveney is ‘deeply worried’. Stop the lights!
@TheoWolfe: There is no room beside him.
He was t deeply worried about the housing crisis when absconded over to foreign affairs.
I’m sure he’s cacking his jocks whilst mincing about on his holidays…….
Thank you for the comments, they have given me a great laugh.
Kim Jong Un should be fearful. The Skibbereen Eagle is watching.
He must have drawn the short straw when it came to the number of spaces available in the governments nuclear bunker.
deeply worried = must act and look worried..
deeply concerned = i’m in for some browny points….
We’re worried about what Coveney is up to every day, never mind North Korea every few weeks!
About time that they strap Kim Jong-un to a missile and launch him over the Sea of Japan.
Recklessly dangerous buffoon.
Does our wonderful government currently have the ability to reach out to the nation via txt message in the event of a national emergency or will the just rely on RTE and dobson ??
Joe 90 and the sound bites almost as bad as the strutting peacock with children’s socks.
Because Kim could give a flying F word about how Coveney feels…….
Good to see the minister talking a hard line
KIM WEE SON has not slept all night after he heard minister coffee is deeply concerned .
Im sure the little fat guy will go straight to the talks table when he reads how worried simple Simon is.
What a total total plum!!!
I am sure North Korea is upset. Simon, don’t be so silly.
What’s he deeply worried about. Not being leader of FG might be justified but North Korea
Idiot coveney. He’ll probably start blaming it for the Irish housing crisis next!
Why would Coveney be worried?. He will hardly have to fire any of his missiles at Kim Jon.
The Guy is a embarrassment a complete and utter tool .
LOL..As if Kim Jong Ding Dong would listen to this Clown.Coveney Get back to making a balls of your lame job at home..You fool..!
Updated with a completely different story lol!
OK so. there is only emergency alert written in English and the rest is Japanese! I admire Japan slot but this is a fail! I think 90% of the safe people are going to be Japanese and I can see why!
Simon friken Coveny.
Who the flip is he to skutter on?
North Korea must be shaking in their boots now that Coveny had said it’s unacceptable.
Our idiot politicians need to keep the gob shut.
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