Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on alcohol drink driver offender legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39906/08]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Legislation was introduced in the Road Traffic Act 2006 to provide for an appropriate form of roadside Mandatory Alcohol Testing (MAT). Since its introduction, gardaí have been operating 30,000 MAT checkpoints per month, thereby increasing the risk of being breathalysed. As a consequence, there has been a noticeable downward trend in the number of deaths and collisions on our roads since August 2006.

This downward trend, which has continued into this year, was achieved despite the fact there has been a 40 per cent increase in the number of drivers and a 70 per cent increase in the number of vehicles on our roads over the period from 1997 to 2007.

According to the European Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) programme, which is run by the European Transport Safety Council, (ETSC), Ireland is now ranked in the top ten best performing EU countries for road safety performance.

Automatic disqualification from driving applies to all drink driving convictions but the minimum period of disqualification varies depending on the alcohol levels in individual cases and on whether the conviction relates to a first or a subsequent offence.

The Road Traffic Act 2006 also provides for the introduction of significant changes in relation to the minimum periods of disqualification following a conviction for intoxicated driving offences.