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THE NORTH’S DUP environment minister Edwin Poots is considering whether the drink-driving limit in Northern Ireland should be reduced to the same level as proposed in the Republic – to 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood – from the current UK level of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, which is also the current level in the South.

There has been tic-tacking on the issue between the department of environment in the North and the Department of Transport in the South, with officials from the two meeting “to discuss road safety issues, including drink-driving”, according to a spokeswoman for the North’s environment department.