Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Has Garda overtime been increased? While it is important that more Garda are visible, there can be drawbacks. If a cat is going to pounce on a mouse, will it make itself more visible? The same goes for the Garda presence in dealing with road traffic offences. The number of people breaking speed limits, for example, is an issue in the context of all aspects of road traffic legislation. When Gatso vans first came out, the law stated that a notice was to be put on the road that a speed camera was ahead. People told me when I was a local authority representative that such signs significantly reduced the number of motorists speeding.

The Minister referred to pressure groups. When this proposal was first mooted, I was the first out of the blocks to condemn it and to state that it will have an impact on livelihoods and people's mental health. This just does not impact on rural areas, it also impacts on urban areas. In most large towns, the local pub is in the town centre and the latter may not be within walking distance for most customers.

The younger generation is aware of the dangers of excessive drink-driving. If the Minister gets his way with this proposal, we will be killing a dying breed. The culture is changing and excessive drink-driving will fade away in time.

The Minister made an argument about the effect of drink. There is a cliché about having a drop to settle the nerves. Has the Chairman ever heard it?