KERRY COUNTY Council is to tell Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey it is opposed to proposals to reduce the current blood alcohol limit for drivers. Councillors and others have said reduced limits will add to rural isolation.
A council motion was jointly proposed by Fine Gael councillor Bobby O'Connell, Fianna Fáil councillors Tom Fleming and Michael O'Shea and Independent Fianna Fáil councillor Danny Healy-Rae. The motion was opposed by Sinn Féin councillor Toiréasa Ferris.
Those for the motion said there were few statistics to show that people with the current legal limit in their blood are involved in accidents. Cllr O'Connell said no-one supported drunk-driving. The people who drove to pubs for one or two pints in order to socialise were not the ones who caused the accidents. Reductions would cause "further rural isolation".
"It's not a problem inside the Pale. People living in large urban areas don't understand that. But rural isolation is a very, very big problem here," Cllr O'Connell said.
Cllr O'Shea said people were being forced to socialise in their own home and the nation was being turned into a nation of alcoholics as a result. There was no proper public transport in rural Ireland and people were being isolated. Lowering the alcohol limit would be the final blow, he said.
Ms Ferris said she shared councillors' concerns about rural isolation but supported a zero alcohol limit for drivers. She pointed out that those proposing the motion were involved in the pub business.