Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Like Deputy Ó Broin, I have sat in the parlours of the homes of families who have lost people as result of drink-driving. It is not a very pleasant experience. I am sure many of my colleagues have done the same. Speaking from the point of view of the profession from which I come, I have perhaps a more intimate knowledge of the destruction caused by deaths from drinking and driving.

The central premise of Bill is to change the penalty in respect of drinking and driving. It is not a proposal to lower the limit. In that regard, it is a very warranted measure and I will support the Bill. The motivation behind the legislation is to save lives and avoid injury to those who drive above the limit, their passengers and other road users. We are not just talking about drivers, but a much wider group of people who will be affected by the Bill.

This is not an urban or rural issue; rather it is a national issue. It is not about the driver or the pub. It is about the death and serious injury of people on the roads. It is about changing people's attitudes to alcohol in general and drink and driving in particular. We have a very serious problem in this country in regard to alcohol. To compound that by not taking drinking and driving seriously is negligent in the extreme.

Road safety depends on many factors, including speed, road quality, the roadworthiness of cars, weather conditions, carelessness, tiredness, inexperience and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Road safety is multifactorial. Like many issues in our society, there is no one factor. Many factors add to death and serious injury on our roads. We should take every opportunity to try to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. We should remember that a car is a lethal weapon and if it is used in an irresponsible manner, it leads to very serious consequences.

I wish to refer to two issues.

This is a public health issue on two counts. It is a public health issue in relation to preventing injury and death on our roads. It is designed to protect drivers, passengers, pedestrians and fellow road users, their neighbours and friends. Many accidents happen within the locality of the driver, possibly injuring or killing himself or herself or people who live in the community.

Road fatalities are not the only statistic on which we should measure the proposed legislation. When we are discussing road safety we must also remember that many more people are seriously injured than die on the roads, perhaps by a factor of ten. Many of the injuries are very serious and life changing. If one visits the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire, one will see many people there who have spinal injuries and brain injuries as a result of road traffic accidents, which have life-long consequences. They are not injuries that people get over lightly. We should not just discuss this measure in terms of road deaths on the basis that it saves ten, 20 or 30 deaths, but that one might save hundreds of people serious, life-changing consequences. That must be used as a measure and not just deaths on the roads.

It is also a public health issue in terms of bringing home to people the excessive level alcohol consumption that goes on in this country. Although Ireland is not unique in this regard, we have a serious problem with alcohol consumption. We all received a glass today in our office indicating the safe level of alcohol consumption. It is 11 units for women and 17 units for men. There is a safe level of alcohol which we must consider. Liver failure is now a disease of young people and the consumption of alcohol is a concern. Binge drinking in this country is very serious. We must speak also about the public health aspect of alcohol in society.

Fianna Fáil is opposed to the Bill. One of the main reasons for its opposition is because drivers may be stopped the morning after the night before and be found to be above the legal alcohol level. That is a very spurious argument because it does not matter what time of the day or night one is over the limit, one is still over the limit and if one is over the limit, one is a danger to oneself and other road users. If one is over the limit on one's way to work and one gets to work without being detected, then one is putting one's fellow workers at risk due to the level of alcohol in one's blood if one is operating a machine, on scaffolding or driving as an occupation. The Fianna Fáil position is all the more surprising given that it introduced a smoking ban in public places which was a wonderful public health initiative and it has now become self-policing because if one smokes a cigarette in a public place now, it is the members of the public who will police one and not the authorities. I hope that in years to come that will be the case with alcohol as well. It is disappointing that Fianna Fáil is opposing the Bill, especially on that spurious ground.

I wish to address the issue of social isolation, in particular in rural areas although we should also bear in mind that there is substantial social isolation in urban areas too. Going to the pub is not an answer to social isolation. Not everybody drinks alcohol or enjoys the pub culture. In fact, I think the majority of people in rural areas do not use the pub and drink and drive home. The majority do not drink and should not be put at risk by those who do. Many social activities happen in rural areas which have nothing to do with alcohol. My local community centre is used seven nights a week. The biggest card night in the community is held there and it is alcohol-free. Tea and scones are served. It is the most well attended card night in the area. People are home by 11 p.m. Many people are driven there by their relatives and also driven home by them. I do not see why that cannot happen if people want to go to the pub. In our community, we also have arts and crafts, computer studies, local history and many other social activities so going to the pub is not the mainstay of activities in rural areas.

Rural society is much more resilient than depending on the pub culture. I come from a rural area and I have heard many speakers say that this Bill will make people house-bound, but I do not believe that for a moment. Enjoying alcohol sensibly in pubs is good for some people. There is no denying that, but drinking and driving should not be part of that enjoyment. Rural Ireland should not be seen as revolving around the pub culture and, unfortunately, many activities, even sporting activities for young people, revolve around presentations in pubs. That is a serious issue because it sends the wrong message to young people.

There is a growing sense of responsibility among young people in rural and urban areas. There is a sense that it is no longer acceptable to drink and drive. That is beginning to grow among young people and it is evident in other age groups as well. Our efforts should be concentrated on a much broader range of measures to address social isolation, which does not involve alcohol. Not all alcohol is consumed in pubs. Many people drink at home and then get into their cars and drive, or they go to their friends or acquaintances and drink alcohol and drive. The Bill is not directed entirely at the pub trade, rather at the principle of not drinking and driving. The point is that if one drinks, wherever it is, one should not drive, regardless of whether that is in the pub, at home or in a friend's house.

We now know that losing one's driving licence for three months is the consequence of driving while over the alcohol limit. That is a very important message to get out to people, namely, that there is a limit of 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. That does not confine one to having no alcohol as it allows one to have a drink, but I would recommend that people who have a drink should not drive. Deputy Ó Broin referred to the fact that he would not go on social media after a drink and I would strongly recommend that. I would also strongly recommend that one does not go on a gambling website after having a drink so why would one get into a car and drive after a drink? The legislation provides leeway and a tolerance for 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood and that is a reasonable limit.

It is scientifically proven that there is an escalating reduction in reaction time when one drinks. The more one drinks, the worse one's reaction time will be, so if one is under the 50 mg, one's reaction time is still affected but the law will give one some leeway. That has to be considered. There is a myth that people drive much better after a couple of pints. Of course that is completely ludicrous. There is also a myth that if one has a large meal, one is going to be a danger on the road. That is also something which cannot be believed. Alcohol is a drug and it can be dangerous. If misused, it can be lethal so it is not something to be dismissed lightly. There is a ripple effect in terms of deaths and injuries on the roads. If someone is killed for any reason involving alcohol, that affects the person's family, friends, work colleagues and community. Hundreds of people are affected by it for the rest of their lives. It is not just one person, but many, who are affected by each incident on the road. The issue should not be measured purely on the number of deaths but on the number of very serious injuries that also occur.

I believe there is overwhelming support for this Bill.

The Irish Road Victims' Association held a vigil outside the Dáil a number of months ago at which it had a candle for each person killed on the roads in the previous year. There were 198 candles. When one passes something like that, it brings home to one the extent of the problem. Of course, not all 198 victims were killed because of alcohol, but a significant number were. As many speakers have said this evening, if we can save even one life, it will be worthwhile. This legislation will save many more than one and must be taken seriously.

The Road Safety Authority was spoken about tonight. I have great respect for it. The number of deaths on our roads has diminished substantially in recent years. There used to be 400 or 500 deaths per year; now there are 200, as a result of many measures to improve road safety. Drink-driving is one factor that affects road safety. It is not often that we have a Bill in this House that can save lives directly. This is one such Bill. As a result, I commend it to the House.

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