Delayed drink-driving cases to be heard in Ennis court

Hundreds of people in Co Clare who have had drink-driving charges delayed for three years will have their cases heard in the coming weeks.

Judge Joseph Mangan told Ennis District Court yesterday that more than 200 drink-driving cases were listed for next week, with a total of 537 due to be heard.

The cases were held up for up to three years by challenges to the intoxiliser in the High Court and Supreme Court, but these were dismissed last month.

Insp Tom Kennedy, of Ennis Garda station, said there were a number of individuals who had been detected twice for alleged drink-driving over the past three years and who were still on the road.

He said Garda policy in Clare in relation to drink-driving over the past three years had been ineffective because of the lack of enforcement and was in a "dormitory situation".

Judge Mangan told the court 537 cases were to be heard. This figure applies to the Ennis District Court area and there may be hundreds of other cases to be heard in the rest of the county.

However, a fresh High Court case is understood to be pending against the intoxiliser.

Solicitor Mr Joe Chambers told Judge Mangan that "certain matters have to be dealt with". Judge Mangan said: "Not as far as this court is concerned."

A spokesman for the National Safety Council said yesterday it was "very frustrating" that there were drivers who have been detected twice for being over the limit who were still driving.

"There is a hard core of drink-drivers out there and what is needed is an effective deterrent that instils a fear factor in drivers."