The new drink driving legislation that passed through the Dáil this week lowering the legal alcohol limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100 ml blood, to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, will kill the pub industry according to the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland.
The legislation, which passed through the Dáil without a vote on Wednesday night because it was agreed on beforehand by all parties, is now with the Seanad and the upper house is expected to deal with it at some stage next week. The new limit also sees the legal limit for learner drivers and professional drivers lowered even more than the general driving population, to a level of 20ml of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, probably equating to just a few sips of alcohol. The new Bill will also see drivers who are caught between the new limit and the old one getting a €200 fine and three points on their driving licence rather than a driving ban if they don’t challenge the conviction in court.
However according to VFI president Gerry Mellett this new legislation is another “nail in the coffin” of the pub industry. “The pub industry throughout the country has been brought to its knees by severe over-regulation in the last few years and the new blood alcohol limits will be the final nail in the coffin,” he said. “We estimate that on average one pub a day is closing down and that 1,500 pubs have closed in the last five years. On this basis we anticipate that another 1,500 pubs will close over the next three years, with the consequent loss of another 10,000 jobs in the industry. If action is not taken urgently to remedy the situation the whole industry as we know it will collapse with horrific consequences for the economy and for employment, in particular in the tourist and hospitality sectors.”
However Noel Gibbons, road safety officer with Mayo County Council, has welcomed the reduction in the limits. “It’s good to see this happening, any reduction in the limit which can save a life has to be welcomed,” he told the Mayo Advertiser. “It’s bringing us in line with our EU neighbours. We have to take a zero tolerance approach to this issue and I’m also glad to see that the level for professional drivers and learner drivers has been made even lower than for the ordinary driver.”
