Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am as certain now as I was at the start of the debate that there is agreement on the danger posed by drink-driving and agreement on the need to tackle it firmly in our laws, even if we do not always agree on how best to tackle it. I would like to thank those who have supported this very important proposal to strengthen the law on drink-driving. I know there are those who still argue against what I am proposing. I believe I have already explained, when I introduced this Bill, why it is important, why it is necessary and how it will save lives.

There have been many contributions to this debate and I am pleased to see the interest the Bill has attracted. I would like to address the matters raised in the course of the debate and I apologise if I do not individually name each of the many contributors, in particular as some of the contributions are particularly sensitive. I am pleased to hear from Deputy Troy and his party colleagues that they intend to support my proposals to amend last year's legislation on unaccompanied drivers. I would like to thank Deputy Troy for his support on this matter. On this topic, Deputy Broughan asked whether I have in mind one amendment or two. The answer is two, one to correct the provision brought up in 2016 so it can be commenced and one to allow An Garda Síochána to detain vehicles driven by unaccompanied learner drivers.

I am sorry that Deputy Troy and his colleagues cannot see their way to supporting the core proposal of this Bill in regard to drink-driving. As Deputy Troy said, his party brought in the drink-driving legislation in this country. We agree on the great value of most of that legislation. Where we disagree is on one important aspect, namely, the fact it allows some people who drink and drive to receive penalty points when they should, I am convinced, received a disqualification. Deputies Troy and Cahill noted quite correctly that this Bill relates to people found to be in the 50 mg to 80 mg alcohol bracket and they asked what I am proposing in regard to people on higher brackets. I take the view that their party has already provided in the existing legislation the appropriate penalties, including disqualification, in the higher brackets.

Some Deputies have suggested that the evidence I have cited underpinning this Bill is out of date. Yes, I did quote some figures from 2008-12 but I also referred in my opening speech to the 3,003 fixed penalty notices issued to drink drivers in the 51 mg to 80 mg alcohol concentration bracket from 2012 to 2016, inclusive, and to the striking increase in the numbers during 2016. This disturbing trend has continued and in April 2017 there were more arrests for drink-driving than in any single month in the past five years. I might note too that in 2017, which was overall a year of declining deaths on our roads, there was an increase in both deaths and drink-driving detections in Kerry.

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