News 2018

News Archive 2018 -

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims - Sunday 18th November 2018.
PARC is organising a special ceremony to remember all those that have died in road traffic crashes. Details to follow.

Susan Gray presents Garda Commissioner with copy of PARC’s information guide “Finding Your Way” for families of road traffic victims.

Cathy Reid, Susan Gray, Commissioner Drew Harris, Noel Clancy and Aisling Reid
2/11/2018

4 September 2018 – The new Garda Commissioner believes that An Garda Siochana was a well-resourced police service and he intends to find out where the €1.4bn of public money was being spent. https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/0904/991500-drew-harris-gardai/
Its PARC’s hope that Commissioner Drew Harris finds the funding for the roll out of handheld devices for our garda force. Failing that we respectfully suggest that he ensures a provision in the upcoming budget for same.

23 July 2018 - PARC welcomes the news that President Michael D Higgins has signed the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill into law today.
The next and final step is for the Minister for Transport Shane Ross to put the law into effect by implementing the legislation without delay as it has gone through the most rigorous debate ever known in the Dáil.
We call on the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to start a high-profile media campaign to inform and educate learner drivers, their parents and vehicle owners of the serious consequences of disobeying the learner driver laws under this new piece of legislation.
We look forward in anticipation to robust enforcement of the new drink driving and learner driver laws by Gardai.

17 July 2018
PARC welcomes the final passage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 through the Seanad today. We congratulate Minister Shane Ross for his perseverance in seeing the legislation over the line. We wish to thank all the Deputies and Senators who supported this life saving Bill especially Deputies Tommy Broughan, Catherine Murphy and Imelda Munster. PARC continues its campaign and will be watching closely to ensure that the Bill is enacted and the laws enforced without delay.

17 July 2018
PARC members on the plinth of Leinster House with Deputy Tommy Broughan following the passage of lifesaving legislation.

17 July 2018
PARC Chairperson Susan Gray making a presentation to Deputy Tommy Broughan in recognition of his outstanding work on all aspects of road safety.

17 July 2018
PARC members with independent TD Tommy Broughan and Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn at the gates of Leinster House following the passage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017.

6 July 2018
PARC welcomes the passage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 through Dáil Eireann today after “three months of tortuous debate”. We congratulate Minister Shane Ross for his perseverance in seeing the legislation over the line. We wish to thank all the Deputies who supported this life saving Bill especially Deputies Tommy Broughan, Catherine Murphy and Imelda Munster. PARC continues its campaign and will be watching closely to ensure that the Bill is speedily brought before the Seanad and enacted without delay.
The two key elements of the Road Traffic Bill as reported in the Irish Times..
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/road-traffic-bill-two-key-elements-1.3556652

20 June 2018 - PARC members with Tommy Broughan T.D. during the Dail debate of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017.

4 June 2018 - 'Delaying tactic' of long debates faces 'guillotine.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/delaying-tactic-of-long-debates-faces-guillotine-36974085.html

2 May 2018 - PARC members with Deputy Tommy Broughan at the Dail debate of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill.

25 April 2018 - PARC members with Tommy Broughan T.D. and Dr. Michael Harty T.D. at the Dail debate of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill. View Deputy Broughan's contribution on this Bill.. https://youtu.be/NyNDLTMHPOk

19 April 2018 - PARC spokesperson Fiona Clancy speaks to RTE news on proposed new learner driver laws
https://www.rte.ie/news/player/2018/0419/21352987-learners-driving-for-years-on-multiple-permits/

April 2018 - Deputy Tommy Broughan urges the Minister for Transport Shane Ross to prioritise fixing the absolute shambles of the NVDF, NDLS and PULSE databases.
Deputy Broughan detailed the extent of the serious problems during his Dail speech - showing a different set of figures supplied by the Road Safety Authority on the number of unaccompanied learner drivers involved in fatal crashes compared to the figures provided by the Justice Minister and An Garda Siochana.
The video of Deputy Broughan's Dail speech today is available at the following link: https://youtu.be/NT3to3vRTXE

Unaccompanied Learner Drivers
PARC members, many who have lost one or more members of their family in crashes involving an unaccompanied learner driver have successfully campaigned for stronger learner driver laws.
The most recent campaign was led by Noel Clancy of PARC after his wife Geraldine and daughter Louise were killed by an unaccompanied learner driver in a RTC on the 22nd December 2015. The 'Clancy Amendment' -  to make the owners of vehicles liable if they allow a learner permit holder to drive their vehicle unaccompanied, was included in the Road Traffic Act 2016 but has yet to be commenced by the Minister for Transport Shane Ross.  The inquest jury into their deaths also accepted a recommendation put forward by the Clancy family calling on the Transport Minister to give Gardaí the power to seize a vehicle driven by an unaccompanied learner driver. Minister Ross accepted this proposal submitted by Independent TD Tommy Broughan.

8 March 2018 - PARC backs 'Clancy Amendment' on RTE Prime Time Debate.

1 March 2018 - Six year wait for the Road Safety Authority to address learner driver issues.
Report by Michael Clifford of the Irish Examiner.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/rsa-makes-17m-windfall-from-l-drivers-missing-test-467784.html

The ‘Clancy Amendment’ was approved by the Cabinet on 13th February 2018 and will now go forward to Committee Stage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017.

15 February 2018 – Link to Noel Clancy’s recent interviews on the ‘Clancy Amendment’.
https://soundcloud.com/cork103/noel-clancy-speaks-to-patricia-on-the-clancy-amendment-corktoday
https://sou ndcloud.com/opinionline96/noel-clancy-on-the-clancy-amendment-how-it-will-affect-learner-drivers

13 February 2018 - Solicitor Evan O'Dwyer and Susan Gray interviewed on Today FM by Matt Cooper on the 'Clancy Amendment'.
Listen back to their interviews at 16.31

PARC calls for stricter rules on unaccompanied learner drivers.
Ann Fogarty’s interview with RTE’s Sean O’ Rourk

26 January 2018 - Statement from PARC and Deputy Tommy Broughan today on serious injury collisions..

20 January 2018 - PARC is grateful for the following message received from Solicitor Caroline Mc Laughlin, a Senior Associate with Callan Tansey Law Firm.
"Over the last number of years, I have had reason to refer a number of clients to PARC's online publications of "Finding Your Way", which has been most beneficial in explaining what a family faces following a fatal road traffic collision. Congratulations to you and the members of your group in producing an excellent booklet"

19 January 2018 -  PARC informed by Garda HQ that their campaign to have the Garda C(T)68 collision report form updated has been successful.
Thanks to Deputy Tommy Broughan’s persistence in the Dáil, Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn has now instructed for the necessary changes to be made to capture the Drager (breathalyser) Number and reading at the scene of a collision. The C(T)68 collision form is used by Gardaí to record information from a road traffic collision and is utilised by the Road Safety Authority, local authorities and others for statistical, collision prevention and research purposes.

17 January 2018 -
PARC warmly welcomes Fianna Fail's support of the proposed 'Clancy Amendment' new learner driver laws.

12 January 2018 - Man killed in Co. Donegal road traffic collision https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2018/0112/932741-donegal-rta/

10 January 2018 - How many more will die in RTCs involving unaccompanied learner drivers before laws are strengthened.
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/unaccompanied-learner-drivers-may-have-cars-seized-1.3345985

8 January 2018 - Woman dies 11 days after Kildare crash.
www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/woman-dies-11-days-after-kildare-crash-1.3349013

5 January 2018 - Drivers avoid prison after conviction of causing death. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/revealed-several-drivers-avoided-jail-after-being-convicted-of-causing-death-36460558.html
Susan Gray interview with Irish Independent.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/what-kind-of-message-does-it-send-out-to-those-grieving-36460562.html

3 January 2018 - PARC, Gardai and AA Ireland raises doubts over plans to introduce graduated speed sanctions. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/doubts-raised-over-shane-ross-plans-for-graduated-speed-sanctions-1.3343387

2 January 2018 - Speeding drivers to face higher penalty points
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/speeding-drivers-to-face-higher-penalty-points-1.3342418
Positive news from Transport Minister Shane Ross on consolidating laws https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/motorists-getting-wrong-message-from-courts-says-shane-ross-1.3342297

The story of a very brave and strong lady who ensured that her father’s death was not in vain. www.independent.ie/irish-news/i-think-about-dad-every-day-daughter-of-man-killed-as-they-walked-together-hails-20m-spend-to-improve-road-36450685.html

1 January 2018 - 158 people lost their lives in road traffic collisions in 2017. How many more have sustained horrific life changing injuries - where are those figures?  https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/road-deaths-down-15-in-2017-to-158-the-lowest-on-record-1.3342157