An unprecedented row has broken out between the National Safety Council and the Department of Transport over the Government's commitment to road safety.
Dismayed by the Government's failure to implement fully its road safety strategy, council chairman Eddie Shaw has accused Minister for Transport Martin Cullen of lacking the "will" to tackle the issue.
The criticism comes amid uncertainty about the full introduction of the penalty points system, which has missed repeated deadlines because of technical and resourcing problems.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said it was due to sign contracts with An Post on the administration of the computerised system within "the next couple of weeks", thereby allowing the roll-out to begin "across the country in the autumn".
However, gardaí said yesterday they were only ready to introduce the system for three offences.
Talks are still going on with the Department of Transport on a timescale for phasing in the other 66 offences which have yet to come under the penalty points scheme almost three years after the scheme was first introduced for speeding.
A department spokesman was unable to give a target date for the roll-out yesterday other than saying: "We will outline further progress on that shortly."
Mr Shaw said if the Government had done what it said it would do on road safety an average of 142 lives would be saved on the roads each year.
"Frustration is not the word" for how he felt about the delay in rolling out the penalty points scheme.
"Why has it taken so long? Firstly, there is no collective Government will to do this. That, in particular, applies to the current Minister for Transport, who does not apply the willingness to tackle road safety," Mr Shaw told The Irish Times.
"Secondly, there is no management expertise to deliver this at political level; that expertise is there at civil service level, but at political level it is lacking.
"Thirdly and lastly, in the Government there is a dark ages approach to budgeting, which does not support the type of investment financing that will deliver the road safety strategies that we need."
Mr Shaw was speaking after the launch yesterday of a motorcycle safety campaign at which the Minister was criticised by motoring, road safety and insurance industry groups for failing to introduce a promised compulsory training scheme for motorbikers.
Asked why he felt the Minister was particularly lacking commitment on road safety, Mr Shaw replied: "Where is he? He is not here. I think he is on his holidays."
A spokesman for Mr Cullen confirmed the Minister was on a family holiday, which had been booked before he received an invitation just 11 days ago for yesterday's event.
The spokesman added that two department officials had attended the launch.
"Let's judge the Minister over his period in this portfolio. He is here nine to 10 months.
"He has given serious support to the road safety effort, and there are other measures which he plans to introduce."
