Deadline missed for alcohol limit

THE GOVERNMENT has admitted it will miss the June 2009 deadline for the introduction of a new lower drink driving limit.

Briefing documents prepared for the new Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Noel Ahern, and released to this newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act, state that it is “likely to be late 2009/early 2010” before the new limits become operational.

June 2009 was set as the date for the introduction of the new limit by the Government’s Road Safety Strategy, coinciding with local and European elections.

However, it is possible that it will be further delayed, as a spokeswoman for the Department has said the outline Road Traffic Bill 2008 will not now be ready until the autumn, at which point it will need to be considered by Cabinet.

The briefing note, dated May 2008, said the Department had hoped to “put the Heads of Bill to Government for approval before the summer break”. When the Cabinet makes a decision on new limits, legislation will be drafted, she said. The spokeswoman did not identify a particular reason for the delay, saying “it will take as long as it takes.”

Tommy Broughan, Labour Party transport spokesman, said lower drink drive limits were a “very hot political issue, particularly for rural TDs, and that the rural transport scheme was not adequate.

“The suspicion has been from last September or October that he was definitely postponing it until after the local and European elections.” However, the Department denied last night that there was any connection between the delayed bill and the elections.

Until the Government makes a decision, the Medical Bureau cannot proceed with the replacement, recalibration and recertification of the breath testing equipment, a fact noted in the briefing documents.

“Implementation of a revised limit will be dependent on the availability of new, recalibrated and recertified testing equipment; evidential breath testing machines in Garda Stations and roadside breathalysers.”

Last April the Road Safety Authority recommended a new lower level of 50mg per 100ml of blood for all motorists except learner and professional drivers, for whom a 20mg limit was proposed.

The Road Traffic Bill will also provide for the compulsory testing of drivers involved in crashes. According to the briefing material, advice from Attorney General Paul Gallagher SC has been given to the Department. This testing will “continue to take overriding medical circumstances into account”.

The Department material said the Garda are testing over 360,000 people a year at mandatory checkpoints, with 18,821 detected over the limit in 2007.