As carnage continues on our roads, Minister in charge of Road Safety has a simple message to two FF TDs who have retained the party whip, despite a speeding conviction and a drink-drive arrest. And neither they nor the Taoiseach, is going to like it

Published: 23:06, 12 July 2026 | Updated: 23:06, 12 July 2026 Road Safety Minister Seán Canney said Fianna Fáil TDs who committed serious traffic offences are setting ‘a very bad example’. The Independent TD was speaking amid mounting concern over the rising death toll on our roads. The latest person to die was a cyclist in his 40s who was killed in a suspected hit-and-run in Co. Kildare on Friday.  According to the Garda website the latest fatality brings to 94 the total number of people who have been killed on the roads so far this year – an increase of nine on the same period in 2025. The death came after six other families across Ireland were plunged into mourning after another horror weekend on the roads. The youngest person to die was 21-year-old Aaron Friel, who was killed in a two-car collision at Kinnego Cross in Ballymagan, Co. Donegal, shortly after 9pm on Saturday night. The latest tragedies come after Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was criticised recently for failing to take a tough line with TDs who committed serious road traffic offences. Kerry TD Michael Cahill was appointed to an Oireachtas committee despite being convicted of driving at almost 200kph; he was banned from the road for two years and was investigated by Fianna Fáil’s rules and procedures committee. In late May, Wexford-Wicklow TD Malcolm Byrne was arrested for drink-driving.  Wexford-Wicklow TD Malcolm Byrne was arrested for drink-driving He was replaced by fellow Fianna Fáil TD Naoise Ó Cearúil as chair of the Oireachtas committee on artificial intelligence.  But both Mr Byrne and Mr Cahill retain the party whip. Last month, the Irish Mail on Sunday revealed how Mr Martin’s softly-softly approach was causing disquiet among his Fine Gael Coalition partners. And now one of the most senior Government-supporting Independents has publicly criticised the Fianna Fáil TDs’ actions. Asked if he believed the Taoiseach should have taken tougher action against the TDs, Seán Canney said it was an ‘internal matter’ for Mr Martin and Fianna Fáil. But he told the Mail: ‘The fact that politicians drive at speed, at the speed that man [Cahill] was driving at, or if somebody takes a chance on driving and they’re under the influence, it’s setting a very bad example. ‘And as elected members, we should be leading by example.’ Mr Canney was speaking as latest data shows learner motorists in some parts of the country are still facing wait times of up to six months to take driving tests, a situation he described as ‘totally unacceptable’. The junior Transport Minister with responsibility for road safety said he has instructed officials in his department and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to examine temporary measures to ease pressure in worst-affected areas. ‘We have some issues; we have an issue in Raheny [north Dublin] where the waiting time is 27 weeks. It’s totally unacceptable.’ Asked why road fatalities are continuing to rise, Mr Canney pointed to a combination of population growth and dangerous driver behaviour. ‘Our number one problem is that we have 750,000 more people living in this country now than we had in 2015. ‘That brings additional cars on the road. It brings additional people in the country.’ But he stressed that some of the biggest risks to road safety are entirely preventable. Mr Canney said: ‘We still have people who are driving at speed. We still have people who are driving without a seatbelt. ‘We still have people who are driving under the influence of drink and, more worryingly, of drugs.  'And the incidence of drug detection in drivers has grown substantially in the last number of years,’ he said. ‘The other issue we have is in the area of distraction where people use their mobile phones while they are actually driving.’ Mr Canney said the Government is attempting to address some bad driver behaviour by lowering speed limits and through new legislation. Kerry TD Michael Cahill was appointed to an Oireachtas committee despite being convicted of driving at almost 200kph He noted speed limits on local roads had already been reduced from 80kph to 60kph and that a reduction from 50kph to 30kph in urban areas is expected to be fully implemented by March next year. The Galway East TD also said draft legislation due to be completed before the summer recess will pave the way for further road safety measures, including reducing some 100kph limits to 80kph. Road safety campaigners this week said the rising death toll underlines the need for more urgent action. The Irish Road Victims’ Association (IRVA) described the loss of six lives in the space of just four days as ‘soul-destroying’.  It said in a statement: ‘These are not accidents. Most are totally preventable. ‘At some stage, words have to become action. Families should not have to keep paying the price for delay. ‘We do not need another year discussing measures that are already proven to save lives – we need implementation. 'Most importantly, we need accountability for delivery and outcomes.’ The IRVA is calling for increased roads policing, greater enforcement of speeding, drink- and drug-driving offences, an expansion of average-speed cameras and faster delivery of road safety infrastructure projects. The RSA is facing renewed scrutiny over its ability to tackle the rising fatalities. Appearing before the Oireachtas Transport Committee this week, acting RSA chief Alison Coleman said: ‘It is important that increases in Ireland’s road casualty figures are considered in light of our increasing population.’ RSA representatives also warned of growing concerns around e-scooter injuries, describing the number of traumatic brain injuries involving children as a ‘serious emerging public health concern’. As of June 30, almost half of all road fatalities this year involved vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and e-scooter users. Mr Canney echoed concerns about e-scooter safety, particularly among young people. He told the MoS: ‘Please understand that it is illegal to give an e-scooter to any child under the age of 16.’ And he urged parents: ‘Please take responsibility for your child. Make sure they’re safe in whatever they do.’