Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I see where Senator Paddy Burke is coming from. However, if a Garda inspector, superintendent or someone of higher rank decides there should be mandatory alcohol testing between, say, 17:00 and 19:00 hours, I believe there is sound reason for providing some degree of flexibility. If a Garda testing unit is on the Castlebar-Westport or the Donegal-Ballyshannon road at a time when there is no great flow of traffic, if we stipulate between 17:00 and 19:00 hours, that means the gardaí must remain there during this time. Perhaps when the particular unit is alcohol testing, it should be able to move to another venue, with the approval of course of an inspector or someone of a higher rank. Our legal advisers say that whatever the merits of Senator Paddy Burke's proposal, it would very much tie the hands of the Garda authorities and not give them the flexibility they require.