INDEPENDENT Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae has again hit out at Transport Minister Shane Ross over new drink driving proposals.

Under the proposed legislation, those caught driving under the influence would lose their licence.

However Mr Healy-Rae claims the new move is an attack on rural Ireland - and the Catholic church.

"The laws we had were restrictive enough, and have closed down rural Ireland", he told Radio Kerry.

"Whether it is designed to affect our priests having the little drop of wine at the morning mass or not, there's certainly a lot of other laws going through that will affect our religion in schools and other places and I'm just worried that this is another aspect of it."

The Transport Minister has put forward several reforms to improve road safety including reducing the blood alcohol limit from 50mg to 20mg for all drivers.

This means a single alcoholic drink could push some drivers over the limit.

Mr Healy-Rae is not alone in criticising the proposals.

Independent TD Seán Canney, was critical of how the reforms would be carried out.

He said: "We have to look at the existing laws and how we're enforcing them. We have to look at the new laws in terms of driving under the influence of drugs and the issue of phones and texting while driving; they're huge issues on the roads."

Online Editors