Varadkar ‘sceptical’ about allowing banned drink drivers to drive to work

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is “sceptical” about proposals to allow people banned for drink driving to continue to drive to and from work, saying the move may be unworkable.

Mr Varadkar said it could be impractical for gardaí to confirm if individuals who should not be on the roads are really travelling to their place of work if the plan is introduced.

In an announcement in a Sunday newspaper, junior minister at the Department of Transport Brendan Griffin said he has asked officials to consider allowing convicted drink drivers to have licences under strict circumstances.

Citing a similar law in New Zealand where people who should be barred from the roads are instead allowed to drive to and from work, Mr Griffin said he is open to introducing the proposal here.

The Kerry TD, who is in the same constituency as Michael and Danny Healy Rae, who have both raised concerns about the Government’s strict new drink driving laws, told the Sunday newspaper: “I have asked officials to come back to me on it. I am happy to consider and look at proposals.”

However, Mr Varadkar said he is “sceptical” and that it is unclear how such a move would work.

“We have undertaken to examine it as an option but my initial sense, speaking as a former transport minister and someone who is really committed to road safety, my initial sense is that I would be sceptical about it as a proposal that is workable,” said Mr Varadkar.

“If somebody is banned from driving, they are banned for a reason. If you were to make an exception around travelling to and from work I would wonder around the enforceability of that, how would you establish whether they were going to or from work?

“You would probably then have a knock-on effect of people looking for other reasons as to why they would still be able to drive — because they have to look after a sick relative or they have a child with disabilities.

“So my initial sense is one of scepticism, but the ministers have committed to examining it.”

The issue is likely to be raised with Transport Minister Shane Ross at a Cabinet meeting today, which will also see Culture Minister Josepha Madigan publish the annual archives office report. The report will reconfirm the Government’s plans to speed up the release of archives from 30 years to 20 years in a bid to ensure Ireland keeps track with Britain on key events in the North.