Some 218 motorists were arrested in Kerry for drink-driving in the first nine months of the year, and 113 of these were under the age of 40.

Of that 113, the 21- to 30-year-olds were the highest single age group, Chief Supt Con Cadogan said.

There were 68 drink-drivers under the age of 30, and 59 of these were men and nine were women.

An additional 13 drink-drivers were under the age of 20.

At the other end of the age spectrum, four people, including three men and one woman, over the age of 70 were arrested for drink-driving in Kerry.

Listowel councillor, Jimmy Moloney, expressed disappointment.

“The bulk of drink drivers are under 40. Speaking for my generation, I thought the message was out there that drink-driving was unacceptable,” he said.

The number of drink-drivers in the younger age group was on the rise, the meeting was told.

Meanwhile, other crime figures given at the meeting highlighted the six deaths on the county’s roads to date in 2016. (Seven people died on Kerry roads in 2015). Of those killed this year, three were pedestrians, two were motorcyclists, and one was a pedal cyclist, Supt Cadogan said.

Meanwhile, community representatives at the Joint Policing Committee meeting, in Tralee, raised the problem of boy racers on Kerry’s roads and asked for greater vigilance by the traffic corps.

“Doughnuts were being performed in the middle of the day, in broad daylight,” one member said.

“I would like to see the traffic corps taking a lead on this. It’s in north Kerry, south Kerry, east Kerry, and west Kerry,” he said.

“I am pleading with you to do something,” he added.

Chief Supt Cadogan said he would like to urge the public to take the registration number of anyone seen doing doughnuts on the road and to contact gardaí.

It was also a matter of education, the senior garda said.

“A lot of young people don’t realise the implications of conviction and of penalty points,” Supt Cadogan said.

Also, there had been a dramatic drop of 60% in burglaries.