RSA breathalysers in pubs and hotels spark political backlash

It has been called "disgraceful" and "neglectful"

The plan was labelled as "disgraceful" and "neglectful" by Social Democrats transport spokesperson TD Aidan Farrelly

As per The Journal, he said it amounts to "a sharp turn away from a zero-tolerance approach to drink-driving".

How the RSA breathalysers scheme works

According to the RSA, the main objective is to raise awareness among people who drink, as it wants to challenge assumptions about when it is safe to drive.

Similar questions have come up before over road safety spending, such as Fine Gael's fuel excise cut in Budget 2027.

What the RSA's pilot scheme found

The terminals follow a pilot that ran at hospitality venues and events nationwide between August 2024 and February 2025.

During that period, the RSA carried out more than 24,000 breath tests, while 45% of people who believed they were under the legal limit were actually over it.