Irish cabinet okays legislation to disqualify drink drivers

The Irish cabinet on Tuesday approved a legislation to ensure that all drivers detected drink driving receive a disqualification.

Under the legislation brought forward by Irish Transport Minister Shane Ross, such drivers, instead of three penalty points, will get a three-month disqualification.

"What I am now proposing is that the existing provision allowing people to get penalty points rather than a disqualification for drink driving sends the wrong message and should go," Ross said in a statement.

"This is quite proportionate," he said, adding that he hopes that this draft bill can be passed quickly by parliament and without amendment.

A research conducted by the country's Road Safety Authority cites alcohol as a contributory factor in 38 percent of fatal collisions in the four-year period examined.

Moreover, a recent campaign against drink driving by Irish police, which took place over six weeks in December of 2016 and into the New Year, resulted in 961 arrests for drink driving. This is a 35 percent increase in arrests on the same period in 2015.

Ireland are among European countries having the highest consumption rates of alcohol. In 2015, the average Irish person aged beyond 15 drank 10.93 litres of pure alcohol. Endit