Derek McDowell
Question:23 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on the initiative by the European Union Transport Commissioner on reducing the permitted alcohol level for driving. [16294/97]
Written Answers. - Drink Driving.
Drink driving law has recently been comprehensively reviewed in Ireland. The immediate priority is, therefore, to secure good observance of those limits through enforcement, education and improved public support rather than to move to new limits. Drink driving remains a central target of Irish road safety enforcement and awareness activities.
Ireland has already expressed its general welcome for the European Commission's new road safety programme. We will, however, need to be satisfied that particular proposals of the programme, such as that for harmonising blood alcohol limits, can be justified in terms of subsidiarity and practicability having regard to the widely divergent conditions existing across the European Union.