Alcohol Action Ireland press release, Monday, 27 April 2026
Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), the national independent advocate to reduce alcohol harm, along with Dr Eoin Fogarty, AAI board member and Emergency Medicine and Retrieval Consultant, Cork University Hospital, and Donna Price, founder and president of the Irish Road Victims Associations (IRVA), will tomorrow (Tuesday, 28 April) brief TDs and Senators at Leinster House on the impact of alcohol on road safety, an issue that affects families in every county in Ireland.
The briefing will outline key findings from AAI’s updated and expanded report, Alcohol and road safety, collating relevant national and international data and putting forward a series of recommendations which, taken together, would go a long way towards reducing road deaths in Ireland. These include:
- The need for a standard breath testing target equal to every licensed driver being tested at least once a year.
- Updating of laws regarding the collection of blood samples from suspected drink drivers.
- Impounding of vehicles for a failed breath test as is the case for uninsured vehicles.
- The introduction of the alcohol ignition interlock system for offenders.
AAI CEO Dr Sheila Gilheany said: “Alcohol is involved in over a third of driver deaths on our roads. Almost one in eight drivers (12%) admit to drink driving in the past 12 months. That’s around 424,500 people a year, or 1,160 a day, taking a lethal weapon onto our roads after drinking.
“Meanwhile, Ireland has the lowest level of roadside breath testing in the EU. An Garda Síochána reports that 189,736 breath tests were carried out in 2025 with 4,867 arrests for drink driving. When you consider there are more than 3.5 million driving licences held in the country, that’s a tiny fraction when compared to the amount of people who admit to drink driving.
“While there has been some improvement in the amount of breath testing being carried out annually, the level is still very low. Garda activity at known high-risk times of the year such as at holiday periods are welcome. However, the monthly data makes clear that even during these high-profile campaigns the testing level does not greatly change.
“This is reflected in RSA data which shows three in four people deem it ‘unlikely’ or ‘very unlikely’ to be breath tested on a typical journey. Australia has set a breath test target equal to testing every driver at least once a year, so people know they have a good chance of being caught. More than one-third of driver fatalities in Ireland had been drinking prior to the incident, in Australia that figure is 14%.”
Along with targeted increases in breath tests, the report also recommends:
- Address issues re the collection of blood samples from suspected drink drivers. Ireland should introduce the Australian system where any Emergency Dept (ED) doctor/nurse may take a sample and store it in a one-way safe in EDs to preserve the chain of evidence.
- The time window for taking blood samples following a collision must be extended from the current 3-hour limit to 12 hours. This is particularly relevant given the long distances to some hospitals from collisions in rural areas.
- Vehicles should be impounded at the time of a failed breath test, as is the case for uninsured vehicles.
- Ireland’s low level of drink driving convictions must be investigated, and any legal loopholes must be closed.
- Greater resourcing of An Garda Síochána to tackle drink driving is required.
- A welfare check on the family should be carried out when someone provides a positive breath test and there are children or juveniles present in the vehicle.
- Introduce the alcohol ignition interlock system for offenders.
- Offenders should be provided with access to treatment and there must be a significant enhancement of service provision.
Dr Gilheany continued: “Crucially, Government must act on the significant international evidence that reducing population-level alcohol consumption by enhancing controls on price, marketing and availability has an impact in reducing alcohol related collisions. Research across the EU indicates that a 10% increase in alcohol prices is associated with a 7% reduction in road deaths – for Ireland in 2025 that would be 13 people still alive. Every Budget that doesn’t include an increase in excise duties is a missed opportunity to reduce deaths on Irish roads.
“There is also a significant body of research which shows the link between increased alcohol availability through longer licensing hours and impacts on road safety. For example, a one-hour extension of late-night opening hours is associated with a 30% increase in road collisions in rural areas. The Programme for Government states there are plans to introduce changes to licensing hours through the Sale of Alcohol Bill/Intoxication Liquor Bill which are in development with the Department of Justice. It is essential that the Government does not make a bad situation worse through such actions.
“There are growing calls to introduce the enhanced measures recommended in the report from those who witness first-hand the consequences of drink driving, as seen in the recent motions that were adopted by the AGSI and IMO. There is also strong public support for action to address Ireland’s alcohol issues despite opposition from vested interests. Government must say enough is enough and do everything in its power to call time on drink driving on Irish roads.”
Donna Price, president of Irish Road Victims Association, said: “Behind every statistic is a real person, a life cut short, a future extinguished, and a family left destroyed forever. If we are committed to reducing road deaths and delivering on Vision Zero, we must have rigorous and highly visible enforcement. There must be a real likelihood of being caught if you are drink driving, and of losing your licence. We must expect to meet regular garda checkpoints with mandatory intoxicant testing on our journeys, not just on holiday weekends.”
Dr Eoin Fogarty, Emergency Medicine and Retrieval Consultant, CUH, said: “I have witnessed some truly horrific scenes that were the result of drink driving and having to tell someone their loved one has been killed or seriously injured is something I’ve had to do far too often, when more can be done to eradicate it. Unfortunately, in Emergency Departments we regularly see obviously intoxicated people avoid drink-drive testing due to the law as it currently stands. Similarly, people who make the decision to drink drive are allowed back driving immediately after failing a test, yet vehicles are removed from people who drive without tax and insurance. There is no logic in this.”
ENDS
