Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

Yes. I thank the Acting Chairman for listening while we worked this out.

I welcome the Minister. In principle, I welcome the Bill, the aim of which is good, namely, to make our roads safer so that more lives are saved. However, it is important that I make a few points in support of other Senators' comments. For example, I support Senator Phelan's comments on the importance of implementation. Many claim the current role of the Garda is not about making our roads safer. Were that the case, gardaí would be more visible. In rural and urban areas of the west, I am regularly told that the Garda's enforcement is a revenue raising exercise as opposed to an effort to make roads safer. This matter needs to be considered.

The Bill will reduce the legal blood alcohol concentration level to 50 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood.

There is considerable evidence to support this. Studies taken by the British Medical Journal concur as 50 milligrammes is generally seen as the stage when impairment becomes noticeable. One of the studies I looked at also saw signs of impairment in driving at 70 milligrammes. However, in the case of 20% of the people studied impairment was reported at between 10 milligrammes and 40 milligrammes. In particular young men under 20 and men over 55 have an increased risk at lower concentration. It is thought they have a 30-fold increased risk at 80 milligrammes, so there is a good reason for reducing blood-alcohol levels, and on that I compliment the Minister.

I support the notion of safety first and the fact we must consider that of the 281 road fatalities in 2008, some 120 involved those in the age group 16 to 30, and 204 of those who died were males. I temper those remarks, however, by asking that the incidences of sleep and tiredness be considered as well as distances. We now have the new M6 from Galway to Dublin. Compared to when people drove the poorer roadway, there is now greater likelihood of falling asleep while driving because the road is so boring, as was pointed out to me at a meeting last night.

In this regard we need to look at the Australian model, with people driving very long distances, but with considerably more signage and warnings as regards the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel. Considerations such as body weight, food and nutrition are also relevant issues, as regards the effects of alcohol in the body, and whether someone will have eaten adequately etc.

In principle I accept there is a good argument for reducing the blood-alcohol level, but we need to temper everything the Minister is doing with the realities in different areas of the country, particularly rural Ireland, as others have mentioned. According to Irish Rural Link's CEO, Seamus Boland, enforcing higher limits will not save a single Irish pub from closure and most importantly, neither will it free people from rural isolation. People need rural transport in rural communities and this is an opportunity for publicans and communities to come together to provide an adequate support system for their locality, he says. However, under current economic constraints supports are needed before pubs close down.

What happened to the pilot proposal around rural transport of the former Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív? Has the Minister any suggestions as regards how he might assist in this area? This would be responsible legislation if he could reduce blood-alcohol levels while matching this with measures that ensure people still have access to public houses.

More than 40% of the population lives in rural areas. Rural dwellers have a higher poverty rate to urban dwellers according to recent CSO figures, which means they have less disposable income for taxis etc. More than half the households in rural Ireland reported difficulty in accessing public transport as compared to 11% in urban areas. It just is not there. On one occasion a few years ago when I wanted somebody to mind my children, nobody would take the job because there was no way of getting there without a car.

One third of rural dwellers have difficulty accessing banking services and local GP services as compared to 15% of urban dwellers, again showing the heightened sense of isolation in rural Ireland. The HSE farm and rural stress helpline found that 50% of callers were living alone, 41% cited depression and suicidal thoughts as their main mental problems and 43% cited loneliness and no support as the main reasons for calling the helpline.

Making it more difficult for people in rural Ireland to access pubs will exacerbate these figures. In a few years we shall have enormous difficulties, as regards the increasing rates of suicide, as Senator Phelan has indicated, with new figures out today. There has been an increase of 26% since last year. We shall have to look for new measures to counteract rural isolation. If the pub is serving a function at the moment, why not find a way? Pub means public house, and not necessarily a place in which to get sloshed and drunk out of one's mind. It provides an opportunity for people to meet. By reducing the blood-alcohol levels we are increasing fear, enhancing rural isolation and effectively promoting excessive drinking in the home.

I have seen this in my locality, unfortunately, with two older families falling into the habit of excessive drinking in the home since they are so fearful of going out because of the tighter drink driving limits.

I call on the Minister to match the reduction in blood-alcohol limits responsibly with rural transport supports, to make the continuation of life in rural Ireland possible. This would be good for the economy and indeed for Fianna Fáil. That party has depended on rural Ireland for many years, so do not let it down now.