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The Road Safety Authority has defended a plan to install breathalyser terminals in pubs, hotels and sports venues, after criticism over the estimated cost. Supporters say the devices give drivers a clear way to check their blood alcohol level before driving; opponents warn the move risks normalising drinking to the limit.
What the RSA intends to place across the country
The RSA has issued a tender for the supply and deployment of breathalyser terminals at hospitality locations, golf clubs and large sporting venues. The tender calls for the installation of 20 permanent terminals across 12 counties, with at least one device in each of the six counties that record the highest rates of people killed and seriously injured on the roads.
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Road Safety Authority justifies €1.5m outlay on breathalysers for Irish pubs
In addition, the authority plans to roll out a further 20 temporary “summer” terminals for the May–September season at major events such as Electric Picnic, the Galway Races and the National Ploughing Championships.
Costs and contract details
Initial reports described the scheme as costing roughly €1.5 million for a three-year contract. The RSA has since clarified that the €1.5 million figure is an estimated total across the tender’s potential seven-year duration, including festival and event deployments as well as the proposed hospitality terminals.
Evidence from previous trials
The authority points to earlier use of interactive breathalysers at hospitality sites and major events during August 2024 and February 2025. Data from those rollouts showed many people who were over the legal blood-alcohol limit believed they were fit to drive.
At the testing stations, the RSA says 64% of people who exceeded the legal limit of 0.50g/l indicated they intended to drive, while 77% of those who mistakenly thought they were under the limit also said they planned to get behind the wheel.
To date, the RSA reports the terminals have been used 121,390 times at events. The devices also show road-safety messages and collect information to evaluate the intervention, the organisation adds.
Political pushback
Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly urged the scheme to be “stood down”, arguing it undermines a zero-tolerance stance on drink-driving. He criticised the selection of 20 terminals and the cost, saying: “The RSA has plucked an arbitrary figure of 20 terminals to be installed across 12 counties at an estimated cost of €1.5 million.”
Farrelly warned the policy could be read as tolerating drinking up to the legal limit. “The message going out to drivers from the RSA should be a simple one – never ever drink and drive, not drink as much as you will get away with, which is what this policy conveys,” he said. He later added: “This approach is neglectful and a sharp turn away from a zero-tolerance approach to drink-driving, as it endorses a narrative that ‘just the one’ is fine. It must be revoked immediately.”
RSA response
The authority maintains its core message remains unchanged. A spokesperson said the placement of terminals is intended to reinforce that message: “The message every placement serves is ‘never, ever drink and drive.’”
The RSA also explained the €1.5 million number, saying it represents the estimated total value of the tender across its potential seven-year duration and covers deployment at festivals, concerts, sporting and other events as well as the 20 hospitality terminals.
According to the RSA, the tender was published last week following board approval and is meant to provide a scalable continuation of a road-safety intervention the authority has already used at venues including Malahide Castle, Marlay Park, Electric Picnic and the National Ploughing Championships. The RSA added that it will continue to promote the core advice to plan a safe journey home in advance.
