Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Members of the public have asked me to ask the Minister for a timeframe. In fairness the Minister has given me a good enough answer and I am happy with it.

In the wake of what happened last week with the Garda, I would like to know whether the breathalyser that is being used in Ireland is used in any other country. I do not want someone to come along and claim that the breathalyser was faulty or wrong.

Is the breathalyser used in any other European country? Is there a failure rate with the breathalyser? When I was in Dundalk last Tuesday evening, I arrived at a checkpoint and the traffic was stopped on both sides of the road. Believe it or not, it was the first time I had seen somebody blow into a breathalyser. I have never had to do it. My question is valid, so people will not be given the excuse of saying that they had not been drinking and that the breathalyser was wrong.