Mr. Donall O'Keeffe:

Our first recommendation was that there be a study to examine what specifically has caused the increase incidence of drink-driving among young people. We do not know for sure but we think one factor is that the level of enforcement in the past five or seven years has been lower than historically, meaning the next generation of drivers is more willing to take a chance. We also think cheap alcohol has been a factor, as has more home entertainment where people have to drive between homes. Not all the alcohol which is drunk is drunk in pubs.

We also made clear that we did not condone drink-driving and in Dublin there is no excuse for it. Understanding what is going on with the generation of drivers aged between 18 and 27 is very important, and we should not rely on anecdote or the hearsay that is bandied about for that purpose. We were asked why there was a 35% jump in recorded drink-driving offences last December, when the higher level of enforcement was in operation. The answer is in the question. It was the higher level of enforcement that led to the higher numbers. If there was a higher level of enforcement throughout the year it is more than likely that there would be a spike in arrests for a period, following which the level of incidents would drop right down. Long-term, higher-profile enforcement is the way to manage the drink-driving issue. There will always be idiots willing to drink and drive but if there are high levels of enforcement and a longer-term commitment to public awareness, much of the problem will be mitigated.