A fifth man has died in hospital of injuries he suffered in a two-car crash in Co Monaghan last weekend that killed four of his friends.
John McQuillan (27) died last night at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. He had been on a life-support machine since Saturday.
Mr McQuillan was a back-seat passenger in one of the two cars that collided on the Monaghan-Threemilehouse road early on Saturday morning.
The three others in the car were killed instantly when the car collided head-on with the car driven by another friend, Ciaran Hagan (20). He was buried yesterday with his cousin, Gary McCormick (20). The funeral of the other passenger, Brian O'Neill (19) was also held yesterday.
The funeral of Dermot Thornton (21), of Crumlin, Threemilehouse, will be held today.
Fr Martin O'Reilly, officiating at the funeral of cousins Gary McCormick and Ciarán Hagan from Threemilehouse, told the congregation in St Mary's Church that "we have been making hay for the last 20 years when our young people have been growing up.
"We have thrown iPods at them, mobile phones, colour televisions, DVDs, whatever you call them, and VCRs but we fail to throw ourselves at them. Forgive us for how we have neglected you," he said.
A total of 306 people have been killed on the roads since January 1st, exceeding the target of 300 per annum by the end of this year; that target was set by the Government in 2004 in its road safety plan.
The Government is now considering tougher measures against young drivers in a bid to cut road deaths.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Cullen said: "We need to change the regime entirely. I think there needs to be a graduated licencing approach in Ireland, that is very restrictive in terms of getting your first licence.
"I think we do away, and I've prepared for this in the legislation, with the provisional licence to a learner-driver situation akin to what happens in other countries."
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern also called for heavier penalties on young drivers who speed. "It's not, I think, acceptable that there are still people taking to the roads in high-speed vehicles and doing merciless speeds," he said.
"Wherever they can be punished, whether it is the gardaí's action or the court's action or legal action . . . all of these things must work together."