Problems that have hit rural pubs as a result of random breath testing have been exaggerated, Road Safety Authority chairman Gay Byrne said today.
Speaking this morning, Mr Byrne said the chances of being stopped at a drink driving checkpoint were "pretty slim" and the debate over random breath testing heralding the end of the rural pub was "a bit of a song over nothing".
Although he said he had some sympathy with the difficulties faced by rural drinkers, Mr Byrne pointed out that the demise of the local pub has been predicted before, most recently when the smoking ban was introduced, a fear that failed to materialise.
The Road Safety chief warned that drinkers would have to amend their behaviour. "The law is the law," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland. "I cannot imagine any amendment in the law that would take care of rural areas, particularly remote rural areas as against urban areas."
He added: "I do believe that to a certain extent it has been exaggerated in so far as in more remote areas of where I'm thinking of . . . the possibility of being stopped at a road block and a breathalysing test . . . it seems to be pretty slim."
However, speaking to ireland.com, the Minister for Community, Rural Affairs and the Gaeltacht, Eamon Ó Cuív, said random breath testing was having a noticeable effect on rural pubs.
"The reality is, whether it's slim or not, people perceive it could happen," he said. "People want to obey the law."
Mr Ó Cuív said that as a result, less people were going out, and that the evidence of that was clearly visible over the Christmas period. "We are all obliged to keep the law," he said.
Independent TD Michael Lowry criticised random breath testing in rural areas, claiming that the disappearance of the local pub would mean the social fabric of the areas would be lost.
Mr Lowry said he wanted to see a system put in place to look after the elderly people in rural areas whose only point of contact with their neighbours and their friends was the pub.
Although Mr Lowry said he supported the law itself, he said that rural pubs were at somewhat of a disadvantage to those in urban areas, as there was a lack of public transport serving the regions.
"The problem is when the law is universally applied, as it has to be, there are different consequences and a greater impact on isolated rural areas arising from the implementation of that law," said Mr Lowry.
He particularly questioned the necessity of breathalysing drivers the next morning, between nine and 11, when many were on their way to Mass. He claimed that this could alienate many people and said that "good law depends on the goodwill and the co-operation of the public".
The Government is already looking at measures to help out the more isolated pubs. In an announcement yesterday evening, Mr Ó Cuív said that possible solutions include the extension of the rural transport schemes, which operate in about 30 locations around the country.
The nationwide expansion of the rural transport scheme was already approved, and funding has been provided for the roll-out.
"Public transport services are not adequate during the day; it's fair to say they are not adequate at night either," said Mr O Cuív said today.
Talks are under way between the Department of Transport and the Department of Community, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs on the matter.
Mr Ó Cuív said the Government were helping to fund the transport initiatives to try to address the inequality in public transport servcies that exists between urban and rural areas. "Nobody asks shops in Dublin to pay for the buses. It is seen as a public service," he said.
Welcoming the announcement, Mr Lowry said: "The Government have been reading the tea leaves, and they now know that this is a serious and real issue in rural areas, and they are obviously going to attempt to address it because it will lose them votes.
Labour spokeswoman on agriculture and rural development Dr Mary Upton has urged the Government to give isolated rural pubs 50 per cent mandatory rates relief.
She welcomed the enforcement of drink driving laws and change in public attitudes towards it but said the Government had to acknowledge the financial impact on pubs.
"The pub is an important part of the social infrastructure in Ireland and plays a particularly significant role in rural areas frequently offering the only social outlet for those who live alone," she said.
Random breath testing was introduced in July last year after getting the go-ahead from the Attorney General. According to provisional statistics, some 348 drink-driving incidents were reported in the first seven days of January, compared to 318 the previous week.
