Cabinet to consider new speed check plan

A REPORT recommending the introduction of privatised speed cameras to reduce road deaths will be considered by the Cabinet today.

In its final meeting before breaking for the summer, the Cabinet is also expected to clear a new initiative aimed at improving the delivery of State building projects through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).

The speed camera report, compiled by an expert group of senior Government and garda officials, calls for up to 600 mobile speed cameras to be mounted at accident black spots - a move expected to raise €70 million annually through speeding fines.

The expert group has also recommended that the majority of speed checks be focused on weekends between the hours of midnight and 3am. In addition it is proposed that just 3% of all new cameras be situated on motorways since most fatal speeding accidents occur on more minor routes.

However, should the Cabinet clear the proposals, private speed cameras will not become a fixture for some time as legislation will be required before the proposal can proceed.

In another major initiative, proposed by Finance Minister Brian Cowen, today’s Cabinet meeting is expected to pave the way for the creation of a central Government body to deliver school, health and other State building projects. Under the proposal the planning and construction of such projects will be removed from each Government Department and handed over to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA).

The NDFA, which already advises departments on financing projects, will have to be significantly expanded to take on its new responsibilities. However, it is hoped that the move will speed up delivery of projects and expand the use of private capital through PPPs where progress has been painfully slow to date.

Despite planning to spend €3.6bn of infrastructure funds through PPPs between 2005 and 2009, the private sector has been slow to commit to the partnerships in most areas apart from roads and a handful of school construction projects.

It is understood the new NDFA will initially take on education, health and justice projects, later expanding to include all Government departments. The National Roads Authority will, however, not be affected by the move and will retain its role in overseeing the national road building programme.

Meanwhile, management and unions at Aer Lingus will tomorrow appear before the Oireachtas Transport Committee to face questions over the controversial leaked plan to force employees into accepting redundancy through aggressive and covert tactics.