RSA agrees to go before Public Accounts Committee

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has agreed to come before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 27th June, having originally declined the invitation due to “operational priorities”.

The RSA has recently received backlash from road safety groups and politicians, after its chief executive Sam Waide last month wrote a letter to the committee saying the RSA has “limited availability” due to “immediate road safety priorities”.

Last week, the RSA proposed for an increase in the fees for the National Car Test (NCT) and the driving test, but Minister of State at the Department of Transport Jack Chambers said a hike is not warranted and that the RSA has “significant reserves”.

Mr Chambers was responding to an RTÉ News report that the RSA has asked the Government to allow it to raise the charges, or grant it additional money from Exchequer resources.

According to documents released to RTÉ’s This Week under the Freedom of Information Act, the RSA, which has a budget of more than €90 million annually, appealed directly to Taoiseach Simon Harris to allow it to increase fees from next year.

In April, Mr Harris held a meeting with the RSA to discuss a worrying upward trend in traffic fatalities. He discussed the spike in deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads with the RSA and the possible measures to address the reversal of the progress made in recent years on road safety.

This month’s appearance before the PAC will be the RSA’s first since June 2014.