Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the VFI and the LVA for appearing before the committee. My position is clear. I am against all forms of drink-driving and I strongly favour zero tolerance. Losing one life to drink-driving is one too many. I will make no apology for my position. Over the years, we have been too tolerant when it comes to drink-driving. Thankfully, that attitude is changing. I might not always agree with the Minister but on this occasion I fully support his efforts. Instead of taking opposing views, I strongly advocate that both the VFI and LVA work with us to change attitudes to drink-driving. In 2015, the number of road deaths was 162 but it jumped to 188 in 2016. In 2016, a total of 8,063 drivers were arrested for intoxicated driving, of whom 617 were detected driving with between 51 mg and 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. That was an increase of 50% on 2015. Between 2008 and 2012, there were 286 alcohol related fatalities, of which 19 were between 21 mg and 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood and 16 were between 51 mg and 80 mg. Drink is a factor in 38% of all road deaths.

The proposed Bill is supported by the RSA, the Road Traffic Victims Group, the AA and the Garda.

Independent research from the Road Safety Authority showed that drinking is increasing among young people. Some 81% of alcohol related deaths occur in rural Ireland. In a national survey conducted by the Road Safety Authority in January 2017, 91% of the public supported automatic disqualification. Support for this was 89% among urban and 93% among rural respondents. Over Christmas 2016, the Garda Síochána ran a six-week campaign which resulted in a 35% increase in arrests over the same period in 2015, which was significant. This new Bill will remove the dangerous impression that people who drive over the limit are allowed to continue to drive. A breakdown of the 2015 statistics for specimens from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety showed that 22% were under 24 years, 27% were between 25 and 34 years, and 21% were between 35 and 44 years. That means that drivers under the age of 44 years represent 70% of specimens taken. The figures for the age group between 45 and 54 years is 14.6%, and over 55 years was 14.9%. The gender breakdown is 81% male and 19% female.

In its opening submission, the Vintners Federation of Ireland stated that we must take the emotion out of this discussion and look at the objectives. I find this statement to be deeply flawed. We cannot take the emotion out of this. I have visited many homes in my constituency where people's lives have been destroyed by drink driving. Loved ones have been killed or badly injured as a result of a driver under the influence of drink. How can we take the emotion out of this? I urge the Vintners Federation of Ireland to approach this issue in a different manner. We must operate a zero tolerance attitude to drink driving and impose penalties on those who drink and drive. We should work towards a better understanding of the cause of drink driving and educate those who still drink and drive so that they have an understanding of the danger of their actions.

I take issue with another part of the Vintners Federation of Ireland's opening statement which stated we have evidence of the presence of alcohol but no evidence that it is the cause of these two very serious things. Is the Vintners Federation of Ireland serious? I find this statement very disturbing. How can we have a situation where alcohol is in the system of a person driving yet state that we do not know that this was the cause of the accident? I want to hear the federation's on this. I want to agree with the comments about taking a historic approach. We must, as stated, look at all factors that arise in cases of road traffic accidents. I urge it, however, to look more closely at the rising instances of drink driving and to its members to see if they have any innovative solutions to reverse this trend.