Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

The Road Safety Strategy 2007-2012, approved by the Government in October 2007, identifies the need to legislate for and introduce a reduction in the legal blood-alcohol content, BAC, for drivers but does not specify what that level should be. In determining what the BAC limit should be reduced to the advice of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, was sought. The RSA's recommendations have been received and the Government, in noting the contents of the authority's report at last week's Cabinet meeting, agreed that the RSA's report be published and taken into account in preparing new road traffic legislation this year.

The issue of lowering the BAC limits will now move into the work underway to prepare for the text of a Road Traffic Bill, which also includes the issue of appropriate penalties for drink driving and other road traffic offences. I hope to bring the heads of the Bill to the Government later this summer.

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