Mr. Padraig Cribben:

There is a misconception that when people are found to be over the limit, they are not automatically put off the road. The bottom line is that people between 51 mg and 80 mg get a fixed-penalty fine and penalty points. Everyone who is found to be over that level is automatically off the road. That has been lost somewhere in the debate. People give the impression that if a person is caught drink driving he or she does not automatically lose his or her licence. In the vast majority of cases a person does. It is only in the 51 mg to 80 mg bracket that he or she does not.

The Deputy raised two other points. One was that he wants to keep the emotion in the debate. I do not think that will lead to either good legislation or rational thinking. We understand the emotion. Many of our members live and work in communities that have been severely affected by fatalities on the roads, but to deal with an issue on the basis of emotion rather than rationality does not make sense.

On his point about the presence of alcohol and causality, that is in the report. If the Deputy can show me anywhere in the report that indicates that alcohol was the actual cause of accidents between 51 mg and 80 mg, I will gladly accept that. I do not see it.