Two ministers rejected advice from officials to break up the RSA, records show

Ken Foxe

Two government ministers rejected advice from officials to break up the Road Safety Authority (RSA), with the Department of Transport taking the lead on safety initiatives.

Internal records reveal that Minister of State Sean Canney blocked the proposal, saying he did not agree to the split and creation of two new entities.

A note said Canney believed that the Road Safety Authority (RSA) – which employs less than 500 staff – was still capable of being managed as a single entity.

He said past failures of the RSA in meeting targets for NCTs and driver testing were resolved by “providing them with adequate resources and with Department and ministerial oversight.”

Canney also suggested the “employment of well-known media or sporting personalities” as advocates for safety on the roads.

A note said: “[Having them] to promote road safety events is worthy of consideration by the RSA.”

The internal submission on reform of the Road Safety Authority was then passed on to Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien for his comments.

A note said: “Minister O’Brien agrees with Minister Canney’s view as stated in the comments.”

The decision not to go ahead with the split sparked controversy with concerns raised over the Road Safety Authority’s dual role in providing essential driving services while simultaneously trying to promote safety.

Internal documents show that right up until this autumn, civil servants believed major reform was on the way.

A ministerial submission said: “Officials propose that the current RSA is legally reformed into a new services and operations focused non-commercial State body, while public interest work is delivered from a new Office of the Road Safety Advocate within the Department, which will maintain a distinct brand and have additional safeguards of independence.”

It detailed how fatalities on Irish roads had returned to levels not seen in a decade.

The submission said the Road Safety Authority had also repeatedly failed to meet service level agreements on the provision of NCT and driving tests.

It said while both were now back on track, this was only through “intensive long-term involvement” by the Department and minister.

“[It] attracted significant media attention while targets have not been met,” officials wrote.

The submission said the RSA’s funding model had come under serious pressure during the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the cost-of-living crisis.

It added: “At the same time, revenue declined as third-party suppliers of services were able to claim greater shares of service income through legally binding indexation clauses in contracts.”

The RSA ran deficits in both 2022 and 2023 and by the end of 2024, a supplementary budget was required.

The submission said these challenges had led to an external review by consultants Indecon, which recommended breaking up the safety authority.

It said: “At the core of the recommendations is that the operational services run by the RSA should be separated from its research, media campaigns, partnerships and education programmes to improve road safety.”

Officials said that while some progress had been made, a “clear political direction” was now required on the future of the organisation.

They recommended full reform of the RSA, breaking it into two separate parts, which was rejected by both Minister Canney and O’Brien.

Asked about the discussions, a department spokesman said: “Regarding the recommendation to separate the RSA’s operational and public interest functions, [the ministers] have decided not to pursue this recommendation and believe that reform can be delivered more efficiently and effectively within the existing RSA organisational structure.

“Officials have been directed to prepare revised reform proposals in line with this decision, and these proposals will be presented to Government before any reform progresses.”

The spokesman said the Road Safety Authority was actively working on many of the recommendations made in the review of its work and carrying out extensive reform.