Garda commissioner warns on drink driving
Thursday, 20 February 2003 16:52
The Garda Commissioner, Pat Byrne, has warned that people should not think they can get away with drink driving, following the Supreme Court judgement which found that Garda guidelines have no basis in law.
Commissioner Byrne said he believed the judgement only applied to one case and not across the board, but the Gardaí were studying it and would act on its implications within the next 48 hours.
He also said the Gardaí would continue to observe drink driving suspects in garda stations for 20 minutes before taking a sample from them.
The commissioner was speaking at a Graduation Ceremony for 160 new recruits at the Gardaí College in Templemore, Co. Tipperary.
Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled, in the case of a man who had been banned from driving after refusing to take the breath test, that there was no justification for a delay of 20 minutes by the Gardaí before the man was breathalysed.
- 6.01 News: Paul Reynolds, Crime Correspondent, reports
- 9.00 News: Crime correspondent Paul Reynolds reports
