Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

We know that drink driving plays a role in approximately 37% of accidents. Half of all accidents involving young men are caused by drink driving. There are lower limits in our EU partners, about which we were talking a few minutes ago. Countries like Slovenia, Poland and Sweden have a limit of 20 mg. Do the Minister and the Minister of State agree that the limit should be reduced? Is it the policy of the Government to reduce the blood alcohol limit from 80 mg to 50 mg? Will legislation be introduced in that regard? Is the Government planning to introduce reduced penalties, such as administrative penalties, for first-time drink driving offences or offences involving a blood alcohol level of between 50 mg and 80 mg? It was recently indicated in the media that the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, and the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, have gone soft on drink driving as a result of the massive vintners campaign, which is ongoing. Is that the case? In the last Dáil, the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, bitterly opposed administrative penalties for fisheries offences. Is he now proposing to provide for administrative penalties for drink driving offences?

Drug driving testing programmes have been developed in many other parts of the world, including the Australian state of Queensland. The Minister, Deputy Dempsey, visited Australia to learn about projects of that nature. The drug levels of drivers can be tested at the side of the road. An insurance company, Hibernian, recently reported that approximately 20% of male drivers under the age of 35 admitted in a survey that they have driven under the influence of drugs. Does the Government have any policies in this regard? Does it intend to introduce a system of roadside drug testing? A number of companies, including at least one Irish company, have indicated that a test kit is available.

See this speech in context