Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

First, let us give credit where credit is due. There has been a significant reduction in road deaths in this country in recent years and the Road Safety Authority and the Department of Transport deserve credit for some of this. The introduction of random breath testing, albeit belatedly, the lowering of the blood alcohol limit several years ago and the increased road safety awareness are all to be welcomed. Last year, however, there were 240 deaths and, if one thinks of the misery of each of those single deaths to each of those individual families, we still have far too many deaths on our roads.

I welcome the proposed reduction in the blood alcohol content limit. The current limit in Ireland is higher than in most European countries and this country should be doing all it can to reduce tolerance of any drink driving. I know there has been a heated debate from all sides of the House in recent weeks on the issue of whether someone should be able to have a pint or two and still drive. There is a kind of acceptance in Ireland of taking a drink and perhaps driving home. We need to scotch that, if Members will pardon the pun. Even though I come from a rural constituency, I do not believe anybody should be drinking and driving in this country.

We must have a wider debate about how we treat alcohol in our culture and why we drink so much compared to other countries throughout the European Union. We need to have that debate in order to change the culture so that socialising and alcohol do not have to be inextricably linked.

The prevalence of drink driving as a major contributor to road deaths must be mentioned again in the context of the Bill because it is estimated that at least 30% of drivers fatally injured in accidents were over the current 80 mg limit, and this estimate is conservative, so people in the know tell me. We also know from research conducted in other countries that where the limit has decreased, it has positively influenced the drink driving attitudes of those who are likely to drive with high blood alcohol concentrations.

We must protect the social fabric of rural Ireland and some have rightly emphasised this point and also the importance of rural transport links. I am glad that money has been provided for rural transport systems. I was involved in a ringalink local transport system some years ago which greatly benefited the social interaction of people in the Carlow, Kilkenny and south Tipperary area. My party will be pushing for increases in resources for this programme in the years to come.

The provision for introducing mandatory alcohol testing at the scene of an accident is also welcome. However, I know too of constituents who have tragically died in car accidents where it was wrongly assumed that alcohol was the cause. This brought great suffering to individual families whom I know, when it was presumed that an individual had taken alcohol when in fact the poor person had died of a heart attack. This measure is equally important in helping both the victims of car accidents and the wider public to know definitively whether drivers in a car accident had consumed alcohol.

I welcome the provision for the introduction of impairment testing for drug content in drivers. Driving while under the influence of drugs is quite prevalent, according to numerous studies. We have all heard stories of people who have been driving erratically when it is not due to alcohol, and people assume it is possibly impairment due to taking drugs while driving. I understand there were over 600 offences for driving or being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of drugs. The field impairment test, FIT, system for testing drivers is somewhat effective and it is important that Ireland embraces any new forms of drug testing technology speedily so there is a comprehensive system of drug driving detection. Section 10, which allows gardaí to carry out preliminary impairment testing, is to be welcomed.

I come from a big, sprawling rural constituency, Carlow-Kilkenny, where many of my constituents live in isolation and where, if one does not have a car, one could be deemed to be a rural hermit. This highlights the importance of the rural transport system. I know some public houses provide transport home but we are a country with a significant ageing demographic. The only recreation for some of those lonely people in my constituency, and indeed across the country, who have no access to a car and who might be widows or widowers, is the local pub. This is a fact of Irish life. Pubs should be able to provide either a cup of tea, a mineral or a drink and we should provide public transport to allow people interact with each other.

My firm conviction is that we should not be taking any drink on board and then driving. Some years ago, I came across a desperate crash. I was the first car behind that person. I do not know whether this was an alcohol-induced accident but I still have nightmares about going up to the door of that car and the driver falling out onto the road in front of me, dead. It was an appalling scene. The family was devastated and I too was devastated. I had come across this accident in the middle of the night and I do not know whether the cause was drink or tiredness, but any life lost in a road accident is one too many. We must do whatever we can to protect lives. The social fabric of Ireland is one thing but in my view we can protect the social fabric of Ireland and still not have drink on board when driving.

I welcome this Bill. The debate about blood alcohol concentration should be part of this wider debate. I have strong views about the culture of alcohol in this country. The steps to increase road safety, as provided for in this Bill, are very welcome and I commend the Bill to the House.

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