'This could be the final nail in the coffin' as RSA's €3.7m spend broke rules

Junior minister for road safety James Lawless and Road Safety Authority CEO Sam Waide at a road safety event launch earlier this year. Mr Lawless and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan will meet the RSA soon to discuss the future of the authority. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) had “significant expenditure” that did not comply with public procurement rules in 2023, prompting a note to be added to its annual report from the State’s auditor.

In total, €3.7m was spent on five contracts outside of public procurement guidelines, with the note from Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy saying the RSA’s accounts had shown “significant expenditure where the procedures did not comply”.