Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Minister to comment on the point I made. He makes the case that the fact the punishment for drink-driving is three penalty points rather than disqualification for a period of at least three months is leading to more people falling into this category and, as I think he said in his opening remarks, abusing that provision. Given the figures, how does he back up his case that this is a factor? If one considers the number of fixed penalty notices issued, which is less than 10% of the total number of people arrested in those years, there seems to be a correlation regarding increases and decreases year by year in that more fixed penalty notices are issued in years in which more people are arrested. Therefore, it seems to correspond to enforcement. Will the Minister flesh out how he deduces that the fact the punishment is a fixed number of penalty points as opposed to a disqualification of at least three months is an issue and that the measure he proposes would address it?