Ms Moyagh Murdock:

I think the vintners stated it was a very small percentage of motorists. That may be the case but this small percentage of motorists have the potential to devastate many lives and communities, and we saw the result with Ciarán Treacy being killed by a drink-driver. One cannot negate such loss of life by saying it was a morning-after death because these lives are just as important. In terms of the 1.3% of cases where alcohol was a factor at between 50 mg and 80 mg, those lives are every bit as important. We cannot as a nation and a society allow the current situation to go on. We cannot resist legislation just to protect people who break the law. They are drink-drivers.

That is the first point we make. It is not a change in levels. We are not reducing the level of alcohol allowed, rather we are changing the deterrent and we should make no apology for doing so. That is what is at play. It is important to point out that we are dealing with people's lives and that we looked at the files. Fathers, mothers and children are left behind. It is a very important issue.