A council will press Justice Minister Alan Shatter for permits to be issued to people in rural areas to allow them to drive after having "two or three" drinks.
Kerry County Council will write to Mr Shatter, asking him to allow garda to issue permits that would allow people drive home from their local pub.
The controversial proposal by Independent Councillor Danny Healy-Rae fuelled heated debate – but when put to a vote was carried by a five to three majority.
However, Kerry Mayor Terry O'Brien told RTE this morning that he was vehemently opposed to the idea.
Mr O'Brien, a Labour councillor: "It is incredibly dangerous. I don't know how anybody can be allowed to say 'You've had two pints, so you're justified to drive'."
Labour councillor Gillian Wharton-Slattery said she did not want to be associated with the motion.
“Depression causes suicide. It’s not caused by not being able to go to the pub. There’s more things to do in Kilgarvan than go into your pub,” she told Mr Healy-Rae.
Cllr Brendan Cronin (Ind) said Mr Healy-Rae was representing the interests of publicans on the council.
Three of the councillors who supported the motion – Michael O’Shea (FF), Michael Cahill (Ind) and Bobby O’Connell (FG) – are publicans.
Cllr Healy-Rae claimed that rural people were "travelling very minor roads... with very little traffic" and "have never killed anyone".
He said his proposal would bring back a social outlet for lonely people in rural areas that has been lost after more strict drink drive laws were introduced.
Mr Healy-Rae, who also owns a pub in Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, said it would benefit people who are "looking at four walls" and could help prevent depression and suicide.
"There are many people locked in at home now in rural, isolated places who are looking at the four walls and they can't get out because they can't even have one drink," he said.
He said taxis or hackneys were not viable options and publicans were already doing what they could, dropping customers home, but customer independence was important to them.
"They're travelling in very minor roads, often on tractors, with very little traffic and it's not right they're being treated the same as the rest of the travelling public and they have never killed anyone."
“They only outlet they have then is to take home a bottle of whiskey and they’re falling into depression and suicide for some of them is the sad way out,” he added.
But chief executive of the Road Safety Authority Noel Brett criticised the proposal.
He said the greatest toll in deaths and injuries from road accidents had been felt in rural locations.
Source: Majella O'Sullivan, Irish independent, 22/01/13
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