County Monaghan has set out the next two years of its fight against road deaths and serious injuries, with the Phase Two Road Safety Action Plan for 2026–2027 launched at Monaghan Fire Station alongside An Garda Síochána, the fire service and the Road Safety Authority.
The plan is the middle chapter of the County Monaghan Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030. It lines the county up with the national goal of cutting fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2030, and with the longer "Vision Zero" aim of no deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads by 2050.
What was said at the launch
Cathaoirleach Cllr Aidan Campbell said that while human error will always happen, the transport network has to be designed so mistakes do not end in death or life-changing injury. "Every serious collision leaves a lasting legacy, and through this plan we are committed to reducing that risk for all road users," he said in the council's statement.
Chief Executive Robert Burns pointed to safer roads, better infrastructure and stronger partnerships so walking, cycling, driving and public transport can all be done as safely as possible. Acting Director of Services Niall O'Connor said delivery will run through infrastructure, behaviour change, education and enforcement under the national strategy. Sergeant Niall Leech of Monaghan Roads Policing said Gardaí will keep targeting speeding, impaired driving, mobile-phone use and seatbelt offences, while Chief Fire Officer Dermot Brannigan and Road Safety Officer Adrian O'Sullivan both stressed that enforcement alone will not eliminate the toll.
The local toll
The published Phase Two document puts provisional figures on the table. Between 2016 and 2025, 45 people were killed on Monaghan roads — about 2.87% of national road deaths in that period, though the county holds only about 1.29% of the State's population on the census baseline used in the plan. Sixteen of those deaths were on the N2. Serious injuries from 2015 to 2024 ran to 240 people in 210 collisions.
Those numbers were already aired when O'Sullivan presented the 2026–2027 element to the September council meeting, the Anglo-Celt reported. Cllr Raymond Aughey (FF), proposing adoption, called them stark reminders of how dangerous the county's roads can be. Councillors pressed for action on speeding in Ballybay, Clones and into Monaghan Town, and for progress on the N2 Ardee–Castleblayney stretch.
What Phase Two commits to
Primary actions include safer active-travel and bus-stop works, progress on the 2023 Speed Limit Review — more 30 km/h zones in built-up areas and lower limits near schools — fuller use of collision data, and Garda access to the national driver and vehicle database for roads policing. Education stays central, including Transition Year programmes. Supporting work covers Safe Routes to School, the Walking & Cycling Strategy, multi-agency checkpoints and Emergency First Response training for fire crews.
Acting Director Nial O'Connor told the September meeting a dedicated county road safety engineer is being hired. Progress will be reported in the Chief Executive's monthly report and in an annual update to the Transport and Community Strategic Policy Committee. The full plan is on monaghan.ie.