Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

The Road Traffic Bill 2009, which is currently before the Dáil for Second Stage consideration, provides for the lowering of the legal blood alcohol concentration to 20 mg per 100 mL for learner, novice and professional drivers and 50 mg per 100 mL for other drivers. The lower limits will be introduced following the enactment of the Bill and when the necessary evidential breath testing, EBT, instruments for testing at the lower limits are available.

The Medical Bureau of Road Safety has commenced the procurement process for the new EBT instruments, following which the new instruments will be evaluated and tested by the bureau over a six-month period. The Road Safety Authority's recently published national survey of driving attitudes and behaviour shows a 71% level of approval for the new 50 milligrams limit and 73% in favour of the 20 milligrams limit. The survey also shows that 61% believe the legal limit of alcohol is one drink, after which a person should not drive, and 90% indicated they had not driven a motor vehicle in the past 12 months after consuming two or more alcoholic drinks.

Overall, the RSA survey results show a significant hardening of people's attitude towards drinking and driving in the country and indicates a profound change in the public's attitude over the past decade.

See this speech in context