W2C-017 Munster Express-0.txt
MUCH RESENTMENT TO DRINK DRIVING LAWS The new drink driving laws have been received with anger and resentment by most members of the public and licensed vintners to such an extent that, if there was an election in the near future, the matter would almost certainly be a major issue.
Every person the "Munster Express" spoke to on the subject this week was at pains to suggest that they did not condone drunk driving in any way. But they felt the new laws were unsocial and draconian and an attack on ordinary law abiding citizens at a time when muggers, vandals and burglars were terrorising the community.

It also emerged that there was no animosity towards rank and file members of the Garda Siochana who are seen as people merely doing their job. But there was much bitterness against the politicians who introduced the legislation and the fact that so many officers have been diverted to check-point duties.

In a separate development, which could have a bearing on the controversy, the Garda Representative Association expressed "serious concern" this week at the decision of the Commissioner to introduce a new staff appraisal system for gardai.

"What will happen is that individual gardai may well be tempted to opt for the soft target, like motorists, rather than concentrating on longer term crime detection"," said the Association's Waterford based deputy general secretary, Mr. P.J.Stone.

The mood of the people was also evident on RTE's "Questions and Answers" on Monday night when, in a show of hands, the vast majority of the audience showed their opposition to the new laws. A return to the status quo and a scale of fines and punishments, depending on the concentration of alcohol involved, were the options most favoured.

A suggestion by Ms. Avril Doyle, T.D., of Fine Gael that Ireland adopt the French system of dealing with drunk drivers has also been finding much support in recent days. In France, the punishment matches the concentration and the consequences of a ban on the defendant's spouse and children is also taken into consideration.
DROP IN BUSINESS
The new laws have very definitely taken their toll on the business of some pubs, especially in rural areas where there is no public transport or taxi service. A sales representative with a major drinks supplier told the "Munster Express" orders were down this week in some areas. He cited one small rural pub which had two customers on Saturday night compared to the usual forty.

PUBLICANS SPEAK THEIR MINDS

The following are the views of just some publicans we spoke to during the week. All stressed that they did not condone drunk driving and their customers were abiding by the new laws.
Michael O'Gorman, The Rhu Glenn
"All our customers are very upset. Usually one would find that a person taking two drinks would be the driver of a party of three or four but now that is all stopped. We have supplied a mini bus and are driving people home to Waterford, New Ross and areas in between. There seems to be a lot of resentment among the public at the new situation"."

Robbie Walsh, Fox's Den

"Many of our customers are men who would drink two or three pints and then drive home along the back roads. These people are steady as rocks and no danger to anybody but now they are so scared they don't even want to take one drink. They come in and have a mineral but are miserable with it."

"The social fabric of society is being destroyed and, when the summer comes, it will serious affect tourism because the Irish pub will soon be a thing of the past"."

"People are angry and feel the efforts of the gardai are being deployed in the wrong direction. I hope the resentment does not materialise against individual gardai as that would be a shame. But there is a real danger that many decent people will begin to view the gardai as the enemy instead of a friend as it should be."

Mr Walsh has introduced a pub based hackney service and hopes that will assist his customers in their dilemma.
Jim Harney, Dunhill
"Most of my customers have described the situation as a downright disgrace. They are very moderate drinkers who enjoy a social night out which is now being made very difficult for them to continue with."

"There is almost the same punishment for a man with just half a pint over the limit as there is for a real drunk driver. People are even afraid to drink at home because they have to be on the road the next morning"."

"I am running this pub since 1947 and we never had an accident involving people leaving this premises. Last night, one of my customers went home three miles down a dark road on a bicycle. He was in more danger from a fast, sober driver than from a moderate drinker who drives carefully"."

Seamus and Renee Comerford, Mooncoin.

"Last weekend was very busy but there were only three cars in the car park and two were owned by staff. We have been driving customers home ourselves while others are using a taxi. Many couples are taking it in turns to stay on the dry"."

"In general, the reaction of customers to the new laws has been very negative as most feel the situation is unfair. There is a drop off in custom from people who were in the habit of dropping in for a drink or two before going home from work in the evenings"."

"Decent people will always comply with the law but many people are telling us they feel hard done by by the new regulations"."

Michael Baroon, Glenmore

"The situation should have been left as it was as there was no trouble being caused by decent, respectable people driving home after a social night out with just a couple of drinks taken."

"We have many people who drop in late at night and rarely have more than two drinks. This pub is a meeting place and they come for the chat more than anything else and now they are frightened even to do that."

"We have organised a taxi to be in the area and we will accommodate customers ourselves if possible but there is a great opposition among the people to the new laws"."

Paul Cusack, Power's Seaview Hotel.

"Because Tramore is an urban area we have a lot of customers who do not need to drive. But all of Tramore is going to suffer once the summer comes because the Sunday afternoon driver who likes to come out for a walk on the beach and have a drink or two before going home will be a thing of the past."

"Most of our customers think the new situation unfair, especially in the blanket way the ban is applied. They feel there should be a difference between the person socially sober but barely over. They are very different to a person with a lot of drink on board as nobody could condone such behaviour"."
