All members of An Garda Síochána are tasked with the enforcement of relevant legislation, including the Road Traffic and Road Transport Acts. As part of this enforcement policy, members of An Garda Síochána set up checkpoints, including mandatory alcohol testing (MAT) checkpoints.
The information readily available relates to MAT checkpoints, which are authorised in writing by a District Officer or Inspector, to conduct mandatory breath testing. The objective of MAT checkpoints is to increase compliance by road users, detect incidents of drink driving, reduce road traffic fatalities and deter incidents of alcohol impaired driving by systematically selecting drivers to assess their level of alcohol impairment.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that to compile the information on a county basis would require a disproportionate use of Garda resources. The following table shows the numbers of MAT checkpoints over bank holiday weekends in 2011 broken down by Garda Division.
Number of Mandatory Alcohol Testing Checkpoints on Bank Holiday Weekends in 2011*
|
Garda Division
|
29 April - 2 May
|
3 June - 6 June
|
29 July - 1 August
|
28 October - 31 October
|
|
DMR East
|
11
|
5
|
13
|
5
|
|
DMR North Central
|
3
|
14
|
5
|
6
|
|
DMR North
|
17
|
27
|
19
|
17
|
|
DMR South Central
|
13
|
11
|
13
|
9
|
|
DMR South
|
19
|
16
|
12
|
8
|
|
DMR West
|
13
|
25
|
18
|
24
|
|
Kildare
|
33
|
19
|
20
|
19
|
|
Laois/Offaly
|
26
|
35
|
22
|
29
|
|
Meath
|
58
|
58
|
29
|
37
|
|
Westmeath
|
25
|
27
|
21
|
23
|
|
Wicklow
|
46
|
45
|
19
|
16
|
|
Cavan/Monaghan
|
36
|
27
|
55
|
58
|
|
Donegal
|
53
|
41
|
29
|
58
|
|
Louth
|
21
|
54
|
28
|
36
|
|
Sligo/Leitrim
|
48
|
32
|
58
|
43
|
|
Kilkenny/Carlow
|
43
|
82
|
84
|
55
|
|
Tipperary
|
114
|
101
|
107
|
100
|
|
Waterford
|
40
|
37
|
18
|
32
|
|
Wexford
|
54
|
48
|
58
|
65
|
|
Cork City
|
23
|
46
|
42
|
26
|
|
Cork North
|
58
|
73
|
54
|
55
|
|
Cork West
|
86
|
72
|
83
|
38
|
|
Kerry
|
26
|
24
|
33
|
31
|
|
Limerick
|
43
|
72
|
47
|
44
|
|
Clare
|
48
|
63
|
54
|
48
|
|
Galway
|
88
|
94
|
51
|
36
|
|
Mayo
|
46
|
55
|
28
|
29
|
|
Roscommon/Longford
|
24
|
40
|
38
|
21
|
*Information provided is operational and liable to change and is valid to 2 November, 2011.
