Minister of State, thank you for giving of your time and coming here this morning to launch the MEAS 2003 Designated Driver Campaign.

The MEAS Campaign has a three-fold purpose:-

• To encourage people to consider their own safety and the safety of others on the road
• To raise awareness of responsible drinking behaviour, and
• To promote the responsible service of alcohol on licensed premises.

The Campaign fits within a broader framework of initiatives being undertaken by MEAS with industry bodies, and with other bodies beyond the industry.  Particularly relevant here is the Responsible Serving of Alcohol programme supported by MEAS and the Department of Health and Children and delivered by Fáilte Ireland (formerly CERT).

The MEAS Campaign builds on the successful Drinks Industry Group’s 2001 Designate Dessie initiative.

Our campaign has been informed by an evaluation of the 2001 initiative – in particular the recommendation that radio advertising be supported by initiatives on the licensed premises.  I will say more about this shortly.

Our initiative is also informed by the fact that a disproportionate number of young male drivers are killed on Irish roads, and the fact that the most serious collisions occur between 10.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m.  While drink driving is an issue for people of all ages in this country, we are focussing our campaign at this point on the younger male motorist.  Hence the theme of our advertisement which will be broadcast on youth targeted radio stations nationally and locally over the coming weeks – Be a Clever Dick – Drive Straight and Designate.  Future campaigns will target other age groups.

I mentioned earlier that the need for specific support for the Designated Driver by the licensee was raised in the evaluation of the 2001 Designated Driver Campaign.  The MEAS Campaign is taking that feed-back on board. I would like to acknowledge and thank the licensed trade organisations, the LVA and the VFI, for their active support for this initiative.

Free non alcoholic product for passing on to designated drivers is being provided to licensed premises in ten different locations around the country, courtesy of the Beverage Council of Ireland and Tennents Ireland.  I would like to thank Bernard Murphy of the BCI, and Liam Meeney and Roweena Breen of Tennants Ireland,  for their support for the campaign.

The following licensed premises have been selected, further to a national Licensed Trade Designated Driver competition, and will be receiving free product for passing on to  the designated drivers  on their premises:-

            1.         Andy’s Bar, Market Street, Monaghan Town.

                        (Owner: Ciaran Redmond)

            2.         Arc Bar and Restaurant, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Dublin

                        (Owners: Frank and Kevin Towey)

            3.         Dennehy’s Bar, 11 Cornmarket Street, Cork.

                        (Owners: Con and Mary Dennehy)

            4.         Gaelic Bar, Wilmer Road, Birr, Co. Offaly.

                        (Owners Brendan and Pauline Lynch)

            5.         Harkin’s Bar and Lounge, Drockagh, Cloghan P.O.,Co. Donegal.

                        (Owners: John and Marion O’Sullivan)

            6.         Munster Bar, Ballymullen, Tralee, Co. Kerry

                        (Owners: John and Marion O’Sullivan)

            7.         Sarsfields, Laurence Gate, Drogheda, Co. Louth.

                        (Owner: Oliver Sarsfield)

            8.         South’s Bar, 4 Quinlan Street, Limerick.

                        (Owner: David Hickey)

            9.         The Foxhunter, Ballydoud, Lucan, Co. Dublin.

                        (Owner: Kevin Towey)

            10.       The Twelve Pins, Berne, Co. Galway

                        (Owner: Val Hanley)

            11.       Toss Cavanaugh’s, Temple Shannon, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.

                        (Owner: Thomas Kavanagh)

These licensees will be undertaking specific initiatives to promote designated driving in their localities over the festive season.  Let me give you some examples of the initiatives planned by some of the successful applicants:-

‘The Designated Driver initiative will be promoted on our web site and on our state of the art plasma advertising screens throughout the premises. We will also promote the initiative in local media and in all mail shots to customers in the area. All booked parties of 10 or more who designate a driver will receive free non alcoholic drinks for the night while managers and staff who promote the initiative, or make any effort to encourage patrons to get home safely, will be rewarded with movie passes’.

‘All Designated Drivers will receive free non alcoholic drink or coffee/tea over the Christmas period. Designated Drivers will also be provided with a personal card, which will be stamped to reflect the number of customers travelling with them. On January 4^th 2004 the Designated Driver with the most points will receive a voucher for a meal for two,  plus a €20 voucher for petrol.

We plan to promote this approach to other licensed premises owners in our locality. The Designated Driver with the most points from each of the participating premises in the area will also be entered into a draw. The winner of the draw will receive a prize of a weekend break away for two sponsored by the licensed premises involved’.

Some of you, who have been successful in the Trade Competition, have travelled here this morning to attend the launch.  Thank you for your support and our very best wishes with your Designated Driver endeavours.

I believe that the current relatively high price of non alcoholic drinks is a potential barrier to designated driving.  Licensees have an opportunity to demonstrate in a tangible way their commitment to social responsibility – and within that context their commitment to designated driving, by offering their customers reasonable choice between alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.  Some licensees have already taken the initiative to afford their customers such choice, and I commend them.  But I call on the relevant sectors in the drinks industry to take positive action now on the non alcoholic drinks pricing front to ensure reasonable choice for all customers.

The MEAS campaign is intended to complement the recently launched Christmas Anti-Drink Driving Campaign by the National Safety Council and An Garda Síochána.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the National Safety Council for their support for the MEAS campaign and in particular their assistance with the selection of the Trade Competition winners.  Thank you Pat and Brian.

MEAS will be undertaking research to establish levels of public awareness of, and the extent of participation in, the 2003 Designated Driver Campaign.  This research will guide the direction of our future campaigns.

At a national level, however, it is critically important that investment is made in appropriate data collection and analysis systems and processes.  This is necessary to enable clearer determination of the causes of road fatalities and injuries, and the availability of more precise information in relation to alcohol and road traffic accidents.  At present, we look at international trend data and impute figures when ‘establishing’ the Irish situation.  The availability of relevant Irish data is critical to the measurement of the effectiveness of the range of interventions being made in Ireland at present to reduce deaths and avoid injuries on Irish roads.  Perhaps, Minister of State, you, with the Minister for Transport and Minister for Finance could look into this area.

It is clear that driver behaviour is becoming more responsible in Ireland.  In 1997, 472 people lost their lives on Irish roads.  Five years later, in 2002, that number has reduced to 376… and this is in circumstances, where over that same five year period, registered vehicles increased by 30 per cent, and the number of driving licenses issued grew by 19 per cent.

Every life lost, every injury sustained on our roads is one too many.  Drink driving is a significant factor in such deaths and injuries.  Designated driving can save lives and avoid injuries.

MEAS wants to drive that message home and welcomes your support in driving home this important message this Christmas, and beyond…..the message that Designated Driving can save lives.