No decision made on drink-driver penalties

A MEDIA report that drink drivers would be given administrative penalties rather than be put off the road, did not emanate from Government, Minister of State for Transport Noel Ahern told the Dáil.

“I know nothing about it,” said Mr Ahern.

“That did not come from us. Policy is made by the Government, not by the newspapers.”

He added that no decision had been made about a new lower drink-driving limit.

“We intend to introduce a lower limit, perhaps of 50mg. That would be a new trend.

“While our limit of 80mg is not in line with that of most countries, it is not the case that other countries always disqualify drivers who are found to be over the limit,” he said.

In other countries “in many cases, the penalty that is imposed is a fine or some penalty points. We would like to hear from those who have a view on the matter, including the committee and individual deputies.”

He was responding to Fine Gael road safety spokesman Shane McEntee who described the report as distasteful.

He said it “seems that someone wanted to ascertain the response to the idea that drink drivers be given administrative penalties instead of being put off the road, in the context of a reduction in the limit from 80mg to 50mg.”

The number of road deaths was beginning to decrease and “we cannot afford to play politics on this subject”, he added.