Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Transport the stance Ireland has taken on the harmonisation across all European states of the blood-alcohol threshold level for driving; the action he has taken to consider lowering the limit here; and if he will reach his conclusion before the end of the current road safety strategy. [7623/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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While the European Commission has recommended that all EU member states should move to introduce a blood-alcohol limit of 50 mg per 100 ml of blood, there are no legislative proposals at EU level for harmonisation of blood alcohol levels.

The position of the Government on drink driving policy is set out in a comprehensive manner in the road safety strategy 2004-06. This recognises our priority is to improve compliance with the existing 80 mg per 100 ml of blood limit rather than move to new limits. We apply an 80 mg limit with very strict application of driving disqualification. Lower blood-alcohol limits operating in some countries do not necessarily attract such strict penalties.

The statistics indicate that those detected for drink driving have blood-alcohol levels well in excess of the legal limit. Some 89% of blood and urine specimens and 81% of breath specimens analysed in 2003 by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety were above the alcohol limit for driving. However, it is more worrying that over half of those who failed blood or urine tests and almost one third of those who failed breath tests had alcohol contents at least twice as high as the legal limit. The limit, therefore, is being ignored by a core number of drivers who refuse to obey the law.

I will introduce legislation during the current Dáil session for the purpose of extending the basis for which a roadside breath test can be requested. The question of reducing the limit will be kept under review but the priority at present is to increase the chances of being breathalysed and heighten the deterrent effect.