Holiday death toll rises to nine

An investigation was launched today after a woman died when a garda car collided with a taxi in which she was a passenger.

The woman, in her 50s, died in the accident in west Dublin, bringing the number of deaths on Ireland’s roads over the Bank Holiday to nine - a figure described as ‘‘totally unacceptable’’ by

Transport Minister Seamus Brennan.

The taxi driver and both garda officers were injured when the vehicles collided at the junction of the N4 in Lucan, just before 11pm yesterday.

All three were taken to the James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown where their injuries were not said to be life-threatening.

The woman died at the scene.

Earlier, a seven-year-old boy died after being knocked down by a car in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary.

It is understood that he ran into the path of the vehicle on the outskirts of the town. He died at the scene.

And a 58-year-old man died following a two car collision in Newrath, Co Waterford, shortly after midnight.

In all nine people died during the holiday weekend - including brothers John and David Phelan, aged 26 and 24, whose motorbike crashed into a car near Fethard in Co Tipperary on Sunday.

Mr Brennan today pledged that a penalty points system for motorists would be phased in from October and a separate police traffic section would be introduced next year in a bid to improve road safety and reduce deaths.

‘‘I am determined that everything available to the State is applied to make sure that people slow down and we start to save some lives,’’ he said.