Tougher drink-driving laws ‘isolate rural people’

STRINGENT drink-driving laws are leading to increased isolation and depression in rural Ireland, a leading councillor claimed yesterday.

Michael Healy-Rae, who is strongly opposed to a proposal to further reduce permitted alcohol levels for drivers, said people, especially bachelors, were living in terror of losing their driving licences.

Speaking at the Getting A Group conference on drug and alcohol abuse, he said: “This is not about drink, but about social contact, the banter and debate in bars. We’re losing all this social interaction which had been so much part of our culture.”