asked the Minister for Justice the total number of prosecutions instituted for drunken driving per county and county borough since the reintroduction of the breathanalyser.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drunken Driving Prosecutions.
6.
There are different categories of drinking and driving offences and statistics of these are compiled on the basis of Garda Divisions rather than counties and county boroughs. Figures of prosecutions instituted in each Garda Division between 20 July 1978, when the breathanalyser was reintroduced, and 14 April 1979 in respect of the categories of offences most closely corresponding to what the Deputy appears to have in mind are set out in the form of a tabular statement, which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to have circulated with the Official Report.
Following are the numbers of prosecutions instituted in each Garda Division between 20 July 1978 and 14 April 1979 in respect of the offences of—
(1) driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle (m.p.v.) while drunk,
(2) being in charge of m.p.v. while drunk,
(3) driving or attempting to drive an m.p.v. while the concentration of alcohol in the blood or urine was above the prescribed limit,
(4) being in charge of an m.p.v. while the concentration of alcohol in the blood or urine was above the prescribed limit.
(Separate figures are not available in respect of the various categories.)
|
Carlow/Kildare |
140 |
|
Cavan/Monaghan |
241 |
|
Clare |
28 |
|
Cork East |
443 |
|
Cork West |
70 |
|
Donegal |
210 |
|
Galway |
87 |
|
Kerry |
175 |
|
Laoighis/Offaly |
136 |
|
Limerick |
86 |
|
Longford/Westmeath |
151 |
|
Louth/Meath |
192 |
|
Mayo |
200 |
|
Roscommon/Galway |
114 |
|
Sligo/Leitrim |
128 |
|
Tipperary |
113 |
|
Waterford/Kilkenny |
89 |
|
Wexford |
66 |
|
Dublin North Central |
133 |
|
Dublin South Central |
266 |
|
Dublin North |
343 |
|
Dublin South |
222 |
|
Dublin East |
64 |
|
3,697 |
Could the Minister tell us whether the figures for the Garda Divisions in the Limerick area are above or below the national average?
I could not give any answer to that question because I do not know: I have no reason to know, nor should there be any political insinuation that I should know.