Gardai and the Department of Justice hope a new testing procedure will lead to a significant increase in the conviction rate for drink-driving, and save the taxpayer more than £300,000.
Gardai are currently required to bring a doctor to a station if they want to take a blood or urine sample. However, under new regulations to be introduced under existing legislation, gardai will be able to conduct a breath test without a doctor.
The test results should be strong enough to bring a conviction, said the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, yesterday.
A Department of Justice spokesman said deficiencies in the current system had on occasion resulted in drink-driving cases being lost, but the new system would provide extremely strong evidence in court.
He added that the State would save more than £300,000 a year by not having to pay doctors' "calling out" fees, which are about £35 a trip and considerably more at night. Money would also be saved because doctors would not be required to give evidence in court during drink-driving cases, he added.
Shortly Garda stations at Castlebar, Co Mayo and Pearse Street, Dublin, will get the new Alchometer machines, which are used by police forces throughout Europe. Before Christmas machines will also be installed at stations in Santry, Tallaght and Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, and Drogheda, Co Louth. At some stage next year all Garda stations should be fitted with the machines, which cost between £12,000 and £15,000.
According to a Department spokesman, the machines, which hang on walls, are easy to operate and maintain. When a driver breathes into the machine a printout is given of the alcohol intake. Drivers will be asked to sign the print-outs to confirm that the test was taken with their permission.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said it was up to the courts to decide whether to convict someone of drink driving, but he was confident the new testing method would be sufficient evidence to secure convictions.
A Garda spokesman said the new machines would also save police time as gardai would no longer have to call doctors.
Gardai will retain the right to ask suspected drink-drivers to submit to a breathalyser test by the roadside. However, this test is not normally admitted as evidence in court. If the test result is positive the person is then asked to go to a Garda station and give a blood or urine sample.
Mr O'Donoghue also told reporters at Templemore, Co Tipperary, where 155 gardai were graduating, that a penalty points system was currently being devised by the Department of the Environment to deal with the increasing level of road accidents.
He said this would award points against drivers who broke traffic regulations. If they accumulated sufficient points their licence could be withdrawn.
But the system "needs careful consideration because of the exclusive role of the courts in the administration of justice," he added.