Taoiseach Simon Harris has said his "gut" feeling is that the Road Safety Authority may need to be streamlined so that it is "dedicated wholly and exclusively to road safety and advocacy", with other aspects of its current work potentially moved elsewhere.
Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings, the Taoiseach said a review is currently examining the role of the RSA and that it is due to "come to Cabinet this autumn".
He said the review is looking at "a number of options", including streamlining the RSA to focus it on road safety and advocacy, adding that his "gut" feeling is that he would agree with such a plan as the wide variety of the RSA's work has "ballooned" in recent years.
"It is true to say there's a review under way. I'm expecting the outcome of that review to come to Cabinet this autumn.
"Over recent years, maybe several years, the work [of the RSA] has kind of ballooned, and they have responsibility for a lot of areas.
"And the question of the review now is is it better for them to have a clearer sharper focus on I don't want to say just road safety, because it's the most important thing."
Asked what his view of the matter is, the Taoiseach said: "Are test centres and the likes better done elsewhere? We will consider that in the audit. But my gut, is that the answer is yes. That's my gut.
"We do need an agency dedicated wholly and exclusively to road safety and advocacy. That actually things around NCTs and the likes could perhaps be done somewhere else," he said.
