Too slow, Department of Transport.
Irish lawmakers scrambled today to close a loophole that is likely to see many cases of alleged drink-driving thrown out of court.
Yesterday’s High Court decision that the law requires alcohol breath tests performed in Garda Stations must be conducted through Irish and English is set to see many cases of drink-driving struck out, despite today’s emergency legislation.
While the new law states that breath tests may be performed in either Irish or English, the statutory instrument will have no retrospective power, the Department of Transport has confirmed.
All future breath tests conducted through English will be valid, but it remains to be seen whether there is any solution forthcoming to the cases of driver driving over the legal limit that are currently awaiting judicial review.
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