Drink driving permit in Kerry

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Liamos

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So Kerry county councillers have passed a motion calling for people in rural areas to be allowed to drink and drive over the current legal limit. According to Danny Healy - Rae, 2 or 3 drinks would be the amount.

Who will judge how many drinks a person has had? While 2 or 3 drinks might have little effect on one person, they could have a huge effect on another. Will Mr Healy - Rae be around when one of these drink drivers crashes and causes the death of someone?

An early contender for most ridiculous story of the year.
 
I have great sympathy with the crux of the issue - rural isolation - but the suggested cure is impractical.

I think funding for a community bus service would be better - could be used for people who cant get out to do shopping etc etc, not just for drinkers. Would also help with those who cannot drive (because the argument against the alcohol limit could be - why dont they go, have a pint and a whiskey, drink tea for a couple of hours and drive home, under the normal limit).

Has all the hallmarks of a Healy-Rae publicity stunt - the yokel act wears thin after about 5 seconds.
 
Bloody Healy-Rae's at it again. And whoever else voted to pass that motion, they should all be shipped out of Kerry permanently. Make me sick they do and I'm a Kerry man. Cringeworthy.
 
This story is being reported on BBC, Guardian, RT, Euronews, and Canadian, US and Australian websites.

What a laughing stock Kerry County Council have made of themselves and the country.
 
Bill Struth said:
This story is being reported on BBC, Guardian, RT, Euronews, and Canadian, US and Australian websites.

What a laughing stock Kerry County Council have made of themselves and the country.
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Oddly enough our drink driving laws are much stricter than those in the UK and US. I can't speak re Canada & Australia
DrMoriarty said:
Rural isolation my horse.
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Rural isolation is a massive problem, especially in relation to older men.

The GAA Social Initiative arose as a result of former President Mary McAleese and her husband, Martin, noticing an absence of older men in attendance at official functions during their many visits to local communities over the years. She came to the conclusion that many men, because of the changing patterns of life, were falling through cracks in the system and either risking or already experiencing isolation and loneliness. For instance, there are approx 200,000 men over 65 in the country, of which as many as one third are living alone.
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Why does drinking alcohol have to be the solution to rural isolation? People can still meet in pubs and have social interaction. They don't need to drink and get behind a wheel putting their lives and other people's lives at risk. Maybe pubs should start looking at what they can offer other than alcohol to these people.
 
In 1991, I was on a holiday in Florida with 2 other lads. Each night we went out, one of us was on the dry as designated driver. In most bars we visited, the designated driver either had free drinks (sodas) or at a reduced rate.

That was 22 years ago. A no-tech solution.
 
It is a mad idea, but so is expecting some old man who is used to his corner in the bar, now opting for a coffee or a glass of coke, and becoming a designated driver in a car pool.
There are many people who won't change their ways, so will just have to risk getting caught or stay home alone.
Surely everyone here knows such a person and can at least show some empathy?
 
Sunny said:
People can still meet in pubs and have social interaction.
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They don't, though. That is the problem.

Sunny said:
Maybe pubs should start looking at what they can offer other than alcohol to these people.
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Indeed, but there doesn't seem to be any easy answers. Many pubs are trying their best, offering free newspapers, wifi, pizzas etc but it doesn't take a genius to twig that most older men in rural parts by and large won't get too excited about such offers.

Pubs are shutting down daily because they don't know what to do to attract non-drinkers.
 
Bill Struth said:
This story is being reported on BBC, Guardian, RT, Euronews, and Canadian, US and Australian websites.

What a laughing stock Kerry County Council have made of themselves and the country.
Click to expand...

All kinds of rubbish gets reported on both the national and international news media these days. We're no more or less a laughing stock than any other country in the world.

While rural isolation is an real issue for many people this is just a cheap publicity stunt and will be forgotten about in a week. We've national drink driving laws which have been tightened up considerably in recent years. Does anybody honestly think a legal exemption is going to be made for a minority of people in rural areas that bypasses these laws.
 
MrMan said:
It is a mad idea, but so is expecting some old man who is used to his corner in the bar, now opting for a coffee or a glass of coke .. at least show some empathy?
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The councillor making this proposal is, AFAIK, a publican. The cost for him trialling 'a free TK red lemonade for designated driver' is low. The reputational damage to him personally, and Kerry County Council, from flying this kite is material.
 
Bill Struth said:
What a laughing stock Kerry County Council have made of themselves and the country.
Click to expand...

I remember Bertie Ahern using the 'laughing stock' argument to advocate e-voting machines, over pencil and ballot paper. In hindsight, the e-voting machines got more press attention.
 
I thought the oddest part of the story was "drink driving permits to combat depression". The very item that could contributes to depression in the first place.

[broken link removed]
 
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