Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am trying to provide balanced opposition to what the Minister is throwing at those who do not support this legislation with regard to drink driving.

I do not want to filibuster but people forget. The Minister has amnesia. It is not only about the Minister as an Independent Minister. It is relevant for his coalition with the Fine Gael Party. The Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is a former Chairman of the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport and oversaw a deliberation. Committee members met but the committee report was inconclusive on whether this law should be introduced. That is a fact. The Minister should read the statement. When the now Minister of State with responsibility for sport signed off on the report, it was inconclusive. We could not agree overall whether this legislation was necessary. That is a fact known to everyone in the House. I remind the Minister of that fact, but no one has taken account of it.

I have spoken already on this Bill but the Minister has done damage. I do not believe the Minister has any heart in rural Ireland or with the people. I am not asking the Minister to measure the drink that people should have; they should know what they can and cannot drink. I will not mention a half pint, one pint, a drop, a medium or whatever. That is not why I am here. I am simply asking the Minister to let the status quostand and to support the Fianna Fáil amendment. It goes some way to saving the Minister's face, if he wants. That is the big issue here. I believe he is out of order by pursuing this issue with no proper background information.

I have asked the question umpteen times. The Minister said in his opening statement to the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport that it was abused, yet he could not give me figures showing how many repeat offenders were in the category that he is trying to put off the road. The Minister said they were abusing it, but the figures for repeat offenders were not brought forward properly.

I appeal to the Minister to accept the Fianna Fáil amendment. It is a simple amendment and I believe it would save everyone in the House and be progressive. I appeal to the Minister. We have seen one rural pub going already in my back yard. I see pubs closing down every day. More important, the young people of today are a new breed but the Minister should not kill the dying breed.

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