Frightening Friday: Irish Council Supports Allowing Drunk Driving to Prevent Mental Illness

Unfortunately folks, this is not a story out of The Onion. A county council in south-west Ireland has voted to support allowing rural drunk driving to help "prevent depression and suicide," reports Henry McDonald.

March 8, 2013, 2pm PST | Jonathan Nettler | @nettsj

According to McDonald, a motion was passed by Kerry county council in January that "supports the creation of permit that will allow rural drinkers to drive after having 'two or three drinks'. It was tabled by the independent councillor Danny Healy-Rae, who has claimed it would help prevent depression and suicide in the county."

"Healy-Rae said people in rural areas were 'travelling very minor roads … with very little traffic' and 'have never killed anyone'."

"He said his proposal would bring back a social outlet for lonely people in rural areas that had been lost after stricter drink-drive laws were introduced."

"Some councillors in Kerry have distanced themselves from the pro-drink-drive motion," notes McDonald. "The Irish Labour councillor Gillian Wharton-Slattery said she did not want to be associated with the motion."

"Addressing Healy-Rae, she said: 'Depression causes suicide. It's not caused by not being able to go to the pub. There's more things to do in Kilgarvan than go into your pub.'"

Full Story:

Irish council approves motion to allow rural drink-driving

Published on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 in The Guardian