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A NEW ROAD safety programme has been launched for transition year students to “help them become safer road users”.
Last year, the highest risk age group on the road was those aged 16-25, who accounted for 26% of all road fatalities.
Some 48 people in this age bracket died on Irish roads last year, almost double the 25 deaths among this cohort in 2022.
The ‘Road Safety Matters’ programme was developed in partnership with the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and supported by An Garda Siochána.
It will initially be rolled out to 143 schools nationwide and the programme aims to prepare students to be roads users and safe drivers, should they drive in the future.
There are 10 modules including modules on learning to drive, components of a car, speed, alcohol, drugs, distractions, safety belts, and vulnerable road users.
The programme can be taught over a 10-week period or longer, depending on a school’s transition year timetable.
Speaking at the launch today at Marian College Dublin, Minister for Education Norma Foley said the new programme will be a “very important road safety awareness resource for schools”.
She described it as a “big step forward in terms of education for a critical age group of road users”.
Minister of State at the Department of Transport James Lawless said “educating young people on the importance of how we use the road, the rules of the road and the important awareness of all road users is something they will carry throughout their lives”.
Meanwhile Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the RSA, said “we are committed to equip the next generation of road users with the right knowledge and awareness when it comes to road safety, including at a time when they may be considering getting a driving licence for the first time”.
He said the programme highlights how everyone has an important role to play, no matter what mode of transport they use.
Paula Hilman, An Garda Síochána’s Assistant Commissioner for Roads Policing and Community Engagement, remarked that “education is crucial in increasing awareness of road safety among people and young, new drivers in particular”.
“Working together to enhance education for young people is essential in ultimately reducing the number of road fatalities on Irish roads,” said Hillman.
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Simon Harris called an election he seemed reluctant to have, lost it and now wants all the benefits of winning it.
@Dave G Doe: back in with his pants down, he led his party to less seats than SF and will lose his job as taoiseach after having it for a few months. Soundbite Simon has seriously underperformed by those metrics.
@Dave G Doe: He’s going in as a junior partner with significantly less leverage and shown how unlikable and contemptuous he is. Sinn Fein have had a disastrous year and still got more seats while getting rid of several liabilities who’d been TDs for them. He managed to have a worse election than them.
@Derek Lyster: simple soundbite Simon was too blinkered to even realise that open contempt for vulnerable people was a bad look a week out from the gE but you often get what you deserve in life.. the Irish wont because they’re expected to accept Meehole in the top job who still lost 3 out of 5 GE’s as FF leader. Shame, shame on the people in Cork in sufficient number who voted for this man
@Derek Lyster: FG lost so many experienced heads, to get the result they have, has to be viewed as a success….. No need to rotate the top job though.
@RC247: it’s not a success. They’re on a little over 20%> it’s another low for the unaccountable, corporate lot because of whom Gerry Hutch almost became the LATEST convict elected. He ain’t the only one in there.
@Don’t Forget: Remember Simon Neal Jennifer Helen etc. you came third!! I think that fact may have escaped you
@Derek Lyster: sorry to disrupt your little narrative with facts, but FG was 11 points behind SF when Leo retired and Simon stepped in. He has eaten Mary Lou’s lunch!
Would they ever just merge and stop the facade.
@Rochelle Hart: They won’t merge. It’s working for both parties as things are. The differences (historic etc.) are important to the membership (and perhaps only to them) of each party and they’d be the ones to vote on any merger.
@Rochelle Hart: exactly
@Jack Hayes: Until tyey lose vote due to doing one thing, saying they are two different two different parties doing the quite opposite, being in government since 2016 and you think that will last, good luck. It appears the transferring of votes only worked one way.
@Rochelle Hart:
Why?
They are fundamentally different parties who represent different factions of Irish Society.
You just see them both as hard working tax payers who should be paying more Taxes but there is more to them than that.
@Rochelle Hart: Not an iota of difference between the two parties, but you have two massive egos who both want to be top dog, and to hell with the country!
@Jack Dermody: hahaha you still think either FG or FF represent anyone but corporate interests
Ratio of jobs to ratio of seats? Top job to FF on the basis of overall result. FG wanting it would suggest Harris on a personal fame trip.
Parity of esteem for:
Careworkers
Scoliosis kids
Creche workers
Nurses
Trolley patients
Homeless
@Padraic O’ Sullivan: Is it true there releasing loads of pedophiles from prison? I saw a clip about it in the Irish Times ? And I’ve heard it from people in work
@Conor O Keeffe: You say you saw a clip of it in the Irish Times. So why wouldn’t you just go to the Irish Times instead of asking Padraic?
@Ian: id be the first as someone loosely conservative on a few developing issues to say same as this hysteria driven by online does no society any favours, but I draw your attention to a Muslim in Wexford slashing his own daughters death and the mainstream coverage hides it well. Including here at journal HQ
@Padraic O’ Sullivan: Post of the day.
Parity of esteem….wonder how much one of their PR advisors was paid to come up with that fancy statement…probably half a million.
@Dere: I believe that phrase was coined during SF/DUP negotiations.
@Dere: It was already there since the ‘peace process’, waiting to be repurposed.
@honey badger: yeah not surprising that they cant come up with anything original.
@Dere: Sure, throw up an auld suggestion there yourself!
@Dere: it’s very common, in certain circles.
@Dere: It’s a medical term, especially for mental health that has made its way into politics and education in particular.
@Dere: “Parity of Esteem” was stolen from the Good Friday Agreement, but then, they’re good at that!
@Paul O’Mahoney: Are you a medic?
@Dere: Donohue with a special advisor on over $101 million to attack the opposition – rebel telly reported
Well done Ireland a brilliant election for the vulture funds and refugee accommodation providers while you wave your kids goodbye at the airport
@Kevin O Brien: You’re welcome.
@Kevin O Brien: The kids are delighted to be getting on those planes. A couple of years in the sunshine of Oz is epic craic.
@Jack Hayes: Wow, there’s a special place in hell for you soyboy. Don’t worry, your tune will change drastically over the coming short few years. It’s going to particularly affect soft little sellout clowns.
@Kevin O Brien: well said Kevin but the lads slagging you off obviously haven’t got a loved one that has emigrated to Australia etc
@Marvin Dollery: Openly threatening people here. Classy. Just because your mates didn’t get elected Adolf
@FoxyBoiiYT: Nope, the threat comes from the Governments policies and their end result, nothing to do with me. I didn’t expect you to have the intelligence to know that given your pathetic track record on here.
@Sal Paradise: They are not. Most of them who are informed know that there’ll likely be nothing to come home to should the need arise. This Country will have imploded by that stage. Voters asked for it, so it’s time to let it ride. They still won’t learn even then.
@Marvin Dollery: You can always depend on the pond life coming in with their puerile posts!
@Marvin Dollery: You’re very angry aren’t you? Poor baby, need a hug? Your right wing tears are sustaining me, please keep going!
@FoxyBoiiYT: Rubbish. You’re seething and panicking because you have no ability to reply effectively. Too easy to make clowns out of sellout little soyboys such as yourself. There’s no anger, only effective use of words.
@Bernard Connolly: full employment and cheaper housing than Australia, so how does this correlate? Could it just be choice to emigrate?
@Marvin Dollery: I’m Panicking? What the .. are you on about? Cry harder. Ye lost and your soooo angry. Just because your incel buddies say your great doesn’t are it so Adolf
@Sal Paradise: shame on the people voting FF in and those ENDApendents such as Lowry down the country, many many of them have at least one child driven out fair enough if someone elects to get away from this place. I’ve no sympathy for any of these grandparents looking at kids on zoom if they choose FFg
@Marvin Dollery: well well it’s Marvin with the tiny Micky,right wing feckwit and full time C.U.N.T
Will Michael accept being the first FF leader who never really became Taoiseach in so far as he had to share it, would be easier if they stopped the charade and joined up, everybody sees them as FFG except their die hard supporters and me St of them are over 70.
@Eddie Garvey: If they merged I’m not sure they get 80+ seats as a merged entity. The current gives the illusion of choice and get to run more candidates.
@Sal Paradise: They’re a busted flush if they amalgamate officially. 4th succesive election their combined support has dropped and now at an all time low. They’re barely able to make up the numbers and cling on to power as is. Their support would fall off a cliff if they joined up. Never gonna happen.
@Eddie Garvey: But he did become Taoiseach,saying he didn’t is childish.
@Brian: That maybe but they both increased seats and that’s what matters.
@Paul O’Mahoney: No Paul, that’s not what matters. Perspective and data is what matters. The 50 years up until 2011, the three main parties (FF FG LAB) had held between 80% and 99% of seats in the Dáil. In one instance from 1969 until 1973, only ONE TD of the 144 did not come from FF FG LAB. Independent Joe Sheridan. Since 2011, and the emergence of SF, we’ve had 4 consecutive elections where FFGs combined vote has fallen and is now at a record low. They can’t even muster 50 % of dail seats between them! They now need each other to govern. Sooner or later you will have to reconcile the fact.
@Daniel Roche: No, they will share the Taoiseach position, they are sharing being in charge, I don’t remember Dick Spring or Mary Harney or any other minor party leader in a coalition being joint Taoiseach, if you are only in charge for half the time you are not the leader, you are sharing it.
If people want change, they should have
Got out and voted. Can’t moan about the next 5 years.
Some good people lost their seats for people no one has heard of. So good luck with that.
Time to concentrate on their manifestos, hold them to their promises, of removing the means test for carers, services for the disabled sector. Increase social housing and reduce child poverty. I wont hold my breath.
@Colette Byrne: Oh, and the freedom of muting trolls is so rewarding.
@Colette Byrne: In fairness, 100,000 young people signed up to vote but a large swathe of them couldn’t because the election was on a Friday, not like 2020 when they were home and could vote.
Maby they want as many brown envelopes as FF.
Same sheet different day
@Fynn: anything to keep SF out of power FF and FG want to be there forever we need an new government with out FG FF same old same old
FG came third behind SF in second, how does that result in parity with FF ?
@Bertie: because they despise SF and they showed exactly how blatantly they do in 2020
Hope they keep the promises they talked about because they are inclined to get amnesia
@Pauline Cahill: They’re not inclined to get amnesia, they have chronic amnesia!
Should be just left with FF, as FG are the third largest party. And Simon was too messy when he had the Taoiseach role.
@F1rYnpWc: I agree. Not a supporter of FF or FG but FF are clearly the largest party and FG are third largest, just as in 2020. It’s not proper democracy that the third party can claim the office of Taoiseach over 2 Dail terms, so Harris could and should be the shortest ever holder of the office.
@John Manahan: I’m surprised that people don’t know how our democracy works, it’s the Dail that elects governments. It’s a fairly simple concept and has been like this since we started voting.
@Paul O’Mahoney: The electorate choose the Dáil. The Dáil chooses the government.
So this is putting the needs of the country first, arguing about who gets what. Hahahahahaha!
There just no point in voting anymore
@Jay Kay: Why.
How many token senators will be appointed to the Seanad and all that jazz.
@Dan Murphy: creepy retirement home where we’ll soon have to listen to the likes of Noel Rock and no doubt turncoat Donnelly. I voted to get rid of it.
The name of the murdered child in New Ross has been officially released. Why is The Journal drawing attention to the nationality of the people involved by conspicuously failing to publish the facts?
@Peter O’Muiri: If he was white Irish, it would be plastered all over the media!
‘Parity of esteem’ was a useful term in the context of the NI peace process. In this context it feels like a cliché: whose esteem of whom?
‘Equal powers’ or similar would be more straightforward and meaningful.
We could have had the Mir space station for the same price as we paid for the children’s hospital. Mad country.
@Dan Murphy: Yep, and we will now spend the price of a Children’s
Hospital every year on keeping the IPAS applicants fed and watered.
Michael Martin should be taoiseach if they are in power with another party. They achieved the most seats from the election / the people of the country. If in power with FG …. Simon should NOT be taoiseach. End of.
No I’m not affiliated with FF or any other party for that matter. I don’t think Simon comes across as a true leader. But having said that I’m worried that we have no one out of all the politicians but I would put Michael very much ahead of Simon.
It’s like marriage, the husband thinks he has parity of esteem.
It means nothing. The Irish are in an abusive relationship with FFG and often the victim in such a rship carries on for a long time without serious protestation, becomes low self esteem. They obviously have collective low self esteem & parish pump syndrome in North tipp
Why would FG just hand the top job to FF? Yes FF have a few more TDs but they need FG. This is senior hurling!
Labours centre right Bacik wants to meet with Greens single TD Roderick … Haha tweedle dum and tweedle dumber
@S Suilleabhain: let Bacoc do whatever she wants! Her meetings with whoever will be a waste of time as none of them will come close to serving in the next Daily.
Mary Lou is only cocking hay with suggestions of a leftist govt, she would have to literally get every other TD in the Dail to form a rainbow coalition, and the “independents” like Lowry etc would never go in there. Even at that imagine the horror scenario of RBB getting the minister for housing portfolio after his efforts to bring in a bill to delimit the rights to private property
@Dave G Doe: having read most of your inane ramblings that really had no bearing on the actual election, and no substance of anything really contributory to any decent debate, I’ve decided to nickname you 2 stroke.
1 hand stroking the keyboard whilst the other is stroking something else. Because it seems you are getting some kind of perverse kick out of this rather than contributing any worthwhile comments.
@Michael McGrath: Lowry, what party did he have to resign fromnfor accepting a bung from Denis O’Brien? Spitting feathers over the Moriarty tribunal where he was caught bang to rights, only a TD because the state hasn’t had the backbone to take him to court over selling a national contract for money.
@Brian D’Arcy: thats why i put independant in inverted comma’s
@Dave G Doe: except they came 2nd and your party u bootlick for came 3rd and it doesnt ever act in the interest of the people
I feel dirty for replying to you, but I’ll go it this once.
FF constructive approach to house building gave us a housing surplus FG trying to out Socialist the left has not achieved the full potential of the economy. FF understands socialism and admits its faults and can out left the left rather than pandering to them.
It’s wonderful to see and hear all the Shinners going apoplectic…… long may it continue…..!
@Lulu: It’s very enjoyable.
@Lulu: Sinn fein came second.
The might as well merge at this point. There is literally no different between the two. They are both centre-left establishment parties with progressive social and economic policies. They’ll be another rotating Taoiseach in all likelihood and all Ministers that were returned will likely get their jobs back with the exception of a view who will have to make way for the new government partners of the Labour and the Social Democrats who will form a centre-left to left-wing coalition with FG/FF and will give them 17 seat majority which should be enough leg room for TD rebellions.
The results from USA about so called pandemic is out why is this not being reported , this goverment needs to be held accountable for locking people in their homes , closing business etc they had no right to stomp all over peoples rights
@john mac: This isn’t the USA.
@john mac: Oh do one. We handled the pandemic as best we could given the circumstances.
@Ian: What effin pandemic read the report
@Paul O’Mahoney: More’s the pity!
The bottom line here is FF can’t go into government without FG. Whilst I’m no fan of either of them, SH is absolutely right to play hardball here.. you can be dam sure if the shoe was on the other foot, seats wise, MM would be doing the exact same. MM could point to the confidence and supply agreement he made in ’16, but this was, as they admitted at the time, partly a tactic to keep SF from becoming the offical opposition party. Harris would be doing himself and his party no favours cowtailing to FF and Martin here. This notion of proportional power based on seats is not applicable anymore. This is a new era of the establishment party’s joining forces to cling on to power.. so the old rule book is out the window. If nothing else We’ll find out what kind of a poker player’s they are.
@Brian: FF, FG and SF .
Now that is a real coalition, putting the country first before party politics
The Irish electorate made a resounding statement about what it thinks of the Green Party. How dare Bacik talk about including O’Gorman in her bid to join a coalition government.
Labour supporters need to remember where they stand and more importantly how they got there!
@Gerry Madden: Liebour have proven over and over they don’t care anymore than ffg what the Irish think.. they imposed the same austerity as FG and it did a fair number on many Irish families. Ah well! History as far as they’re concerned. Alan Kelly elected says it all, he’s as FG as they come proves that Liebour really is centre right
It doesn’t matter hue is prime minister it is the advicer that runs the country
@John Boyle: Firstly, we don’t have prime ministers in Ireland wrong country. And it does matter cause Simon will be the shortest in our history to hold the post and will probably never get the opportunity again.
@Colette Byrne:
Not true …..Michael Collins 218 days, Arthur Griffith 214 days and Cathal Brugha 70 days !
More messing, this rotation stuff needs to stop , taking the pish
Basically it is who gets the poisonous chalice is that of health, housing and immigration….no party wants any of those portfolios
@Mary Kelly: Hopefully, someone with the brass neck to ACTUALLY do something about it, or at the very least, be seen to be trying.
@Andrew Giles: they gave Harris health when he wasn’t even 30 yo and hadn’t quite got the FG worthy contempt for the public – they can’t be trusted to do anything right. They spit at our cervical check women. They shouldn’t be in government.
@S Suilleabhain: I hear you, but it looks like they will be for another 5 years. We live in hope, but I won’t hold my breath. Middle to high income earners will be OK, though, not all happy, low to minimum wage earners. Well, they’re just forgotten, as always.
Politics and the government can’t please all of the people all of the time. it’s the nature of it, and there’s feck all we can do about it until the next General election
@Andrew Giles: imo many of the same middle to higher income folks who have just voted FFG with at least one child driven out should be ashamed of themselves. Their right, my opinion.
@Andrew Giles: i hear you but FG FF have been in all of the time, no one else has been in some of the time except for liebour and the ‘progressive democrats’ aka Fine gael 2
It’s a sad sad day. We don’t have a genuine opposition. All the mainstream parties are the same, trying to get their pig snouts into the money pot. The lowest turn out in 100 years of elections. This is what the political elite want to maintain. It’s mad how failed minister after failed minister get the top job. diversity Leo, college drop out Slimy Harris, compulsive liar Mick the tick, it’s never ending.
€53,350 VAT tax I paid to FG and FF for my house -obscene. No VAT on homes in any other country.
€636 car tax I paid every year since 2008 to FG and FF. My neighbour pays just €190. Obscene.
No tax on jet fuel – daft
All politics is local and nothing more local than a man’s wallet.
Vote Fair Dems…
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