Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I commend the witnesses who have a hard job. We must not lose sight of the fact that the reason the legislation is in its current format is that people's livelihoods would not be jeopardised the morning after. On a recent radio programme that was covering this proposed change in legislation, I heard a lady who was asked if she had ever been bagged and she said she had been one morning after. She had been out the previous night for a few drinks with friends and went to collect the car but obviously chose the wrong time to do that because she failed the test. At least she was able to go back to work. She admitted she got a big fright and said that was the end of her few drinks the night before. The morning after is a big issue. Innocent people's livelihoods would be at stake.

Deputy Murphy said that people drink at home where there is no control of the measure and they are not aware of how much they take or what their system is capable of. They think when they get up the next morning that they are good enough to drive. I have asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Justice and Equality whether this offence has been repeated and I cannot get an answer. Have the people caught for three penalty points and the fine ignored the law?

Many years ago publicans were wary of gardaí raiding the place because a wife rang them when her husband did not come home from the pub. Now the husband and the wife are at home drinking, which is sad. Younger people are adhering more to the law but they are doing doughnuts at our crossroads in rural Ireland because they have so much time on their hands and they are not in the pubs.