The Transport Minister is disputing claims by the Chairman of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) that a lack of resources and enforcement is leading to an increase in road deaths.

As of yesterday, 178 people have been killed on the roads this year. That is an increase of 21 on the same period last year.

RSA Chairman Gay Byrne has said less resources and more enforcement are needed.

He blamed cuts in garda resources and a complacency among road users.

He said one of the biggest reasons for the increase is a lack of enforcement by gardai.

Mr. Byrne said the progress which we made on road deaths over the last five years is unraveling and a lack of garda presence is one of the key issues.

But Minister Varadkar says the issue is not the number of gardai or resources.