Proposed Blood Alcohol Limits

Posted on October 21, 2009. Filed under: Irish Politics | Tags: Blood Alcohol, Drink Driving, Fianna Fail, Noel Dempsey |

There seems to be a bit of a rumpus in the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party following last nights turbulent meeting. Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey’s new proposed Blood Alcohol Limits for Driving got the backs up of a lot of rural backbenchers. They feel his proposal to lower the limit from 80 to 50 micrograms per litre is a step too far and would sound the death knell for rural pubs.

There are reports that up to 20 back bench TD’s are refusing to support the new measure and this undoubtedly will put a strain on the Taoiseach at a time when there are more pressing issues to be dealing with.

I fully support Minister Dempsey’s proposals and not because we are both Meath people. Irish people have some fixation with alcohol and the consumption of it. Even though it is scientifically speaking a toxin which is harmful to the Human Body, Society has accepted that it can be consumed in moderation (how society enforces moderation is another matter entirely). However, Society has also said that if it becomes danger to others, it must be controlled and punished.

All the scientific data suggests that this lowering of the limit will save lives. The Irish Medical Organisation supports it and this is the standard limit through out the rest of the EU. So why are people against it?

Those against it feel that the rights of some people to have a few drinks and drive home outweigh the rights of others using the roads. Those who are against it feel that Publicans should be protected as if they provide some magnificent service to society. Come to think of it, why is gods name do most small towns have in excess of 20 pubs? This fixation with alcohol is detrimental to society.

Dempsey is making the right decision by the Irish people and I hope that the leadership of Fianna Fáil think long and hard before bowing down to a lobby group who are only interested in their profit margins. I accept of course that in rural Ireland the local pub plays an important role and that for some people its their only source of social interaction from week to week. However, is it not beholden on the government and elected representative to make sure that the pub is not the only source of social interaction for those people.