Dempsey: Drink drive testing machines to be ready in two years

The Transport Minister Noel Dempsey has confirmed that new machines to test for the lower drink drive limit will not be available until 2011.

The Medical Bureau of Road Safety, which is responsible for providing and monitoring the equipment, has decided to replace the existing machines with ones capable of reading both the 50 and 20 milligram limits proposed under the legislation.

Mr Dempsey said the new machines must be watertight because of the highly litigious nature of road traffic law in Ireland.

However, Conor Faughan of AA Roadwatch says this delay was to be expected.

Mr Faughnan said: "People seem to have the perception that as soon as the legislation is passed we could have the new limit in place for Christmas - I'm afraid there was never any chance of that.

"It does take a long time to get these things organised, frustratingly so, but the Road Traffic Act is so frequently challenged in the courts and everything that the Gardai need to prepare for this.

"They know from experience that they'll have to get this right or the legislation will be delayed."