Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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964. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will address a matter (details supplied) with regard to new legislation on drink driving; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1681/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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It is the responsibility of every driver to educate themselves about the current drink driving limits. The Rules of the Road, a document with which every driver should be very familiar, clearly state that there is no reliable way to tell how much any given individual can drink before exceeding the legal limit as it varies depending on the specific circumstances as well individual biochemistry. This point has been repeatedly underlined by scientific experts in the field. In light of this, there are no concrete "facts" to be publicly circulated about how it long it takes to process a standard drink, and it would be unhelpful and misleading of my Department or any arm of Government to attempt to do so. I am aware that drinkaware.ie, which is a national not-for-profit organisation funded by voluntary donations from supporters including producers and distributors of alcohol, does attempt to provide some guidance on this topic.

My Department, the Road Safety Authority and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety share a very clear position on this matter: the only guaranteed way to stay safely below the drink driving limit is to never ever drink and drive.

The Deputy refers to a specific company, which is licensed as a dispatch operator in Ireland and which, in other countries, provides a ridesharing service. As you know, the National Transport Authority (NTA) as Regulator of the small public service vehicle sector has regulatory oversight of the sector, including the licensing of vehicles and drivers. The current regulatory regime is in place to protect the consumer and to help ensure personal safety. My view is that the regulation of ridesharing services should also be determined in the context of these important objectives. My Department continues to keep abreast of emerging technologies and is open to considering innovative initiatives.