Minister for Transport Martin Cullen yesterday formally launched 31 more driving offences that will incur penalty points from April 1st. Mr Cullen also warned drivers that legislation for random breath testing - announced by the Taoiseach on Wednesday - would be brought before the Dáil this term.
In the interim, existing laws would be used to increase the number of checkpoints at which suspected drink-drivers will be breathalysed. He said the new breath testing regime would be "robust enough to withstand any court challenge".
Mr Cullen also announced a Government road safety group which will include the Ministers for Transport, Justice, Health and Education. The group, to be chaired by Mr Cullen, will be responsible for progress in road safety strategy.
At the Garda training college in Templemore yesterday, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell was asked if gardaí would have the power to test motorists completely at random without forming an opinion they have been drinking.
He replied: "No, that's not the case. Obviously you can't create chaos in that way. But if you interpret the law at the moment that they are entitled to stand, say for instance, outside a pub car park at 11.30, engage motorists at a checkpoint and if they form the view that they have consumed alcohol and ask them to blow in a bag . . . if that's regarded as random breath testing, I think everybody would agree that that's reasonable."
He said he would "like to see checkpoints wherever there is a significant danger of people causing damage to themselves or the rest of the community". He said people "driving home from discos at three in the morning . . . face a serious likelihood that they are going to be stopped in the vicinity of the place they are leaving and subjected to the procedures that the law now provides."
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy told the 127 recruits passing out at the Garda training college that one of the greatest challenges they faced was "the unacceptable level of deaths on our roads, many of which are attributable to the continuing propensity of motorists to drive with excessive alcohol and excessive speed".
Joining Mr Cullen at yesterday's press conference in Dublin, Assistant Garda Commissioner Eddie Rocks said 60 more gardaí would be appointed to problem areas by this March, and after that extra gardaí would be added every quarter.
Mr Rock said computer problems with the introduction of penalty points had been overcome, and the Garda Pulse computer system would be linked to computers in the courts service from April 14th. Even allowing for a 14-day gap between the extension of penalty points on April 1st to full computerisation, Mr Rock said no delays were envisaged.