Drink-driving arrests up 60% in parts of Cork

DRINK-DRIVING arrests in north and east Cork rose by 60% in the first four months of this year, and more than a quarter of those detained were foreign nationals.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that a third of all drink-driving arrests over the last bank holiday weekend were made in the southern region, which covers Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

Garda sources said the huge increase in north and east Cork, believed to be one of the highest in the country, saw 177 people arrested between January and the end of April.

By comparison, a total of 107 people were arrested during the corresponding period last year.

Nationally, garda bosses looked for an increase of arrests of around 15%, but gardaí in the Cork North Division have quadrupled that figure.

The division covers an area from Ardmore in Co Waterford to Glanmire, north to the Limerick and Tipperary border and east to Mallow. Senior garda sources confirmed that the number of seizures of cars had also increased.

In the first four months of 2005, 46 cars were seized by gardaí in the division. This year, in the corresponding period, the figure has risen to 71.

A number of these vehicles belonged to foreign nationals who were driving without tax and insurance. An even larger number of vehicles are so-called company cars. These are cheap vehicles which more often than not belong to criminals.

In the Southern region as a whole, drink driving arrests were up for the first four months by 29% on 2005 and 43% on 2004.

Gardaí have also noticed that the average age profile of those arrested has fallen. “Previously the average age profile was 30 to 50 and they were predominantly males. Now, however, we are noticing a rise in the number of people caught who are in the 25 to 30 age group. There is no rise in the number of females arrested,” said a garda spokesman.

He also said that there had been a “noticeable increase” in the number of people arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs.

“So far this year in the Southern region over 990 people have been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving. Last year there were around 1,000 arrested by the start of June, so we are nearly a month ahead,” the spokesman said.

He added that the large proportion of arrests in the Southern region over the last bank holiday weekend could have been due to an influx of people attending the Kinsale Sevens rugby tournament and the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney. These events were specifically targeted by gardaí.