The Deirdre O'Shaugnessy Podcast: Why Ireland’s drink driving laws are facing renewed pressure

Rising road deaths and enforcement challenges prompt calls from gardaí and doctors for urgent changes to drink driving laws

The Deirdre O'Shaugnessy Podcast: Gardaí and doctors call for urgent reform as drink driving cases and road deaths rise

Drink driving is on the increase in Ireland, as are road fatalities. Doctors and Gardaí say complex laws make catching offenders more difficult than it should be, and are calling for changes they say have yet to be addressed.

High-profile cases, including the death of mother-of-two Sheila Dunne in Cork in 2024 and Patrick Murphy in Kerry in 2023, prompted emergency doctor Eoin Fogarty to write in the Irish Examiner that the three-hour timeframe and legal complications around collecting a blood sample lead “to gardaí and medical staff working against the clock in already high-pressure situations” and make investigations more difficult.

Investigating gardaí have also described the challenges of carrying out complex investigations in the absence of a timely blood test.

Irish Examiner southern correspondent Liz Dunphy has been covering the issue, speaking to gardaí and medical professionals about what changes may be needed. She is the guest on today’s Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.