Transport Infrastructure Ireland sent a very important memo to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, warning him that a continued failure to invest in new road projects would result in 77 deaths and 381 serious injuries over the next five years. That is a very serious assertion for any group or organisation to make. Budget 2024 has seen a 13% decrease of €200 million in funding for roads.

I want to speak about a number of important road projects for County Kerry. If the N22 Farranfore-to-Killarney bypass project does not go ahead soon, according to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, three deaths and seven serious injuries are liable to occur at this location. Kerry County Council requires further funding in order to get to and over the route selection phase for this road and has applied for it. Will the Government support the construction of this road despite the likelihood of it being stalled by the current climate action plan? This road is integral for the continued economic growth of our county and, of course, for the tourism capital of the western world, that is, Killarney town. We also need the relief road to be constructed from Lissivigeen roundabout out to the Muckross Road, which, of course, would service the great INEC and the Gleneagle Hotel and all of the other hotels and big guesthouses that we have along what we like to call the golden mile in Killarney out to Muckross, where thousands of tourists, people from around the country and locals enjoy what is to offer by the great families that are steeped in the tourism product that is County Kerry for many years.

We also need funding for the Newcastle West relief road. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, says that four deaths and four serious injuries will occur there if that job does not go ahead. As for the N21 Abbeyfeale relief road, five serious injuries will occur; and the N72-N73, Mallow relief road, three deaths and seven injuries.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are facilitating the Green Party's underinvestment in roads which, in turn, as stated by TII, will lead to more deaths on our roads. Road deaths are already spiralling out of control. An Garda Síochána statistics state that 151 road deaths already this year compares to 116 at the same time last year.

I take this opportunity to say how sorry I am that, in County Kerry alone, over the last number of weeks we have had too many, in particular, young people, who have tragically lost their lives on our roads. I want to say how sorry I am to their families and their extended families.

Money for basic maintenance of our road network is totally inadequate. The local authority, Kerry County Council, does excellent work but it needs funding for basic maintenance. I recognise, acknowledge and thank the Government for what money we have got but we are falling very far behind at this time.

I want to recognise Deputy Michael Healy-Rae for raising the very serious issue of road safety. Like everyone, I was shocked to see the headlines over the weekend. Five more people died on our roads in different incidents around the country. With the Deputy, I would like to extend my deep sympathies to the families affected and the friends of those who were lost on our roads.

It is devastating to see the extent to which road fatalities have increased over the course of this year. We have to turn the tide on it over the next few months and I am determined to do that in co-operation with the relevant Ministers and authorities involved.

When it comes to road safety, there are many different aspects. There is, of course, education because ultimately it is human behaviours that lead to most road traffic collisions. There is getting our laws right, which is also really important. There is not much point in having laws if they are not enforced and that is why Garda enforcement is really important. That is being stepped up at the moment. We also need to make sure our courts enforce the law. There are too many loopholes in our road traffic legislation that we need to close. There is also the issue of regulation and making sure that our vehicles are safer through the national car test, NCT, and regulations around cars. The Deputy is right that maintenance and improvement to roads also has a part to play in terms of road safety. Just today, the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers got approval for the road safety measures Bill. That is new legislation on road safety. That will be coupled with an increase in enforcement and ensuring that we enforce the existing laws.

Other areas are also important. Investment in public transport takes cars off the road and that can contribute to road safety. As a Government, we have agreed to invest in public transport and roads with a 2:1 ratio. We have not quite achieved that yet but that is the objective. Improving footpaths and cycling facilities also contribute to road safety. We have to see this in the round.

On specific road projects, the Deputy will know that we have approximately €500 million a year for road maintenance and restoration - approximately €500 million a year to improve roads. It is never the case that we can advance every project every year; that was never the case but we try to advance as many as we can. In the near future I will be not too far from the Deputy to formally open the Ballyvourney section of the Macroom-Ballyvourney bypass. I will be in Athy soon enough, hopefully with An Ceann Comhairle, to see the long-promised Athy distributor road opened. Only a few weeks ago, we signed off on a major section of the N5 running through Roscommon between Tulsk and Scramoge, and we opened the Turlough to Westport bypass of Castlebar earlier this year. There are a lot of road projects still happening. I cannot give guarantees about any particular funding for any particular projects but the roads programme will continue to advance. It was never the case that we could advance every project every year and we will have to make decisions in that regard.

I am sure the Taoiseach will be ecstatic to know that I will be standing shoulder to shoulder with him at the opening of the Ballyvourney section of Macroom bypass. It is no thanks whatever to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan that this road is opening because if we were relying on the Minister for Transport who does not like building roads to open it, it would never have opened and would never have been put there. I am glad it is there in spite of some people. I warmly welcome the Taoiseach to come there and to open that leg of the road.

I also want to raise something the Taoiseach mentioned, namely, education. For a long time, I have said that when a student leaves secondary school, he or she should do so with his or her leaving certificate in one hand and a full driver's licence in the other. I really believe that. The learning of the rules of the road and driving a motor car should all be accomplished by the time a person leaves school. It would be for the betterment and the safety of all. In saying that, I want to ensure that our young people can get a driver's test. The Taoiseach will be aware of the extraordinary delays. That is wrong and should be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

While I would like to see anything that could be done to help stop the deaths on our roads, I do not think the further reduction in our speed limits is the answer. There are basic things that we should start doing such as cutting hedges on all our roads and taking surplus water off our roads - basic road maintenance. They will lead to as much safety on our roads as any other measures but they are measures we are not taking.

It is all these things. We know from the success we had a few years ago in bringing down the number of road fatalities - and we should not forget all the injuries either, many of which are life-changing - that it is never one thing. It is about approaching the issue from five or six different aspects. I agree that road maintenance and improvements are part of that picture but they are only part of it.

The Deputy made a strong case a number of times for educating children in school about road safety and, potentially, even being able to do their theory tests in school, which I think is a good idea but I know people will say back to me that we should not overload the curriculum. I am not sure I am convinced about that.

On the driver test issue, I acknowledge the unacceptable delays at the moment around the country. People are waiting for six months to a year, sometimes, to get their driver test. We will get on top of that. We have hired new driver testers and estimate, by the middle of next year, that the wait time will be back to approximately ten weeks. It will fall between now and then. It is something that we acknowledge needs a lot of work. I am reminded by the Chief Whip who is sitting behind me not to forget to mention that the Moycullen bypass will also be completed this year. Another vastly improved road will open.