by Andrew Carey
ONLY a third of drink driving cases brought before Limerick District Court and a quarter of those at Newcastle West court have resulted in a conviction.
According to court records for the period between January 2013 and last May, only 303 convictions were recorded from the 800 cases listed at Limerick District Court. 19 driving licences were endorsed during that time.
At Newcastle West Court, only 57 convictions secured of the 195 cases listed with only five driving licences endorsed. None of the drivers convicted at Abbeyfeale court had their licences endorsed.
The figures released by the Department of Justice for Limerick are among the lowest rate of convictions in the country with the national average showing 40 per cent of drink driving cases resulting in convictions.
In the Limerick court districts, less than 10 per cent of those convicted had their licences endorsed while the national average showed that 20 per cent of convicted drivers had their licences endorsed.
Nationally, more than 20,000 people were brought before the courts for drink driving and 6,709 were convicted.
The Irish figures are in contrast to rates in England and Wales where 97 per cent of drink driving cases brought before the courts result in a conviction.
The Department of Justice said that not all of the cases listed before the courts have been finalised and in some instances, some summonses that have not been served.
A number of the cases have also been adjourned pending the appeal of a High Court ruling that drivers should be be given results of their breathalyser test in both Irish and English.
