Update 11.36am: Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae has said that someone drinking three glasses of Guinness will not cause fatalities on Irish roads.

Deputy Healy-Rae said that the state of our roads, briars growing out, black ice and people driving at 100 miles per hour are to blame.

He was voicing his opposition to new laws that will replace the current penalty point and fine for first-time drink-driving offenders with a three-month driving ban.

Deputy Healy-Rae has disputed figures from Transport Minister Shane Ross on the number of fatalities around drink-driving.

“Two glasses, or three glasses of Guinness will not cause anyone to have a fatality,” he said.

“If we’re going to go down that round, the next thing will be … the cough bottle, or the medicines … that they will be the cause of the accident as well.

“So look – get real about it, check out those figures, because I know what I’m talking about is the truth.”

Earlier:

Cork East TD Kevin O'Keeffe has said that proposed changes to drink driving laws would lead to more people ending up "in mental institutions".

Minister Ross is proposing to ban first-time offenders caught at the lower limit. Under current legislation, they do not get disqualified and instead get a fine and penalty points.

“You’d have more people inside mental institutions if you enforce this law, Minister,” said Deputy O’Keefe.

“We’re losing post offices, we’re losing the small shop in the villages, the pub is the final meeting place left in many villages.”

Earlier, Minister Ross accused the Vintners Federation of Ireland and other groups of cynically lobbying against new drink driving laws.

He told the Oireachtas Transport Committee that all research shows this needs to be done and says it wasn't based on what is now been shown to be fake breath test data.

“Before someone says, as I’m sure they will, and some already have, that they have doubts about these figures because of the recent issues over figures deriving from An Garda Siochána, the figures I am quoting are based on specific notices issued to specific individuals detected and arrested for drink driving offences, and follow a determination of the detected alcohol levels by the NBRS,” he said.

“They are absolutely reliable.”