No Harm In Knowing... a round-up of other news

‘Abolish ageist policy’

Following changes to the licensing requirements of drivers over 70 in February 2022, which saw the age at which drivers have to supply a medical report to obtain a licence increase from 70 to 75, one in five people believe the policy is still ageist and should be abolished altogether.

In a new survey from Peopl Insurance, a further 24pc of the 1000 adults surveyed said they would advocate for a more universal approach, believing that all drivers, regardless of age, should be obliged to provide a medical report.

Additional findings from the Peopl survey reveal men (26pc) are far more likely than women (17pc) to believe the current policy is ageist; over half (54pc) of those aged +55 agree that the medical report requirement is a necessary precaution for road safety and 36pc of those in the youngest cohort – between 21 and 24 – believe the current policy to be ageist, compared with just over one in five (23pc) of those in the older age group of 55+.

Currently, the only medical requirement for all drivers is to provide an eye test report signed by an optometrist or doctor when applying for a first learner permit or if are exchanging a driving licence issued by a non-EU country. For anyone unsure whether they need to reveal their medical condition, the RSA has a list of specified conditions that require a medical report form on their website.

The Peopl survey findings emerge shortly after the European Commission revised a controversial proposal to introduce an EU-wide mandatory driving licence renewal process for drivers aged 70 and older. In March 2023, the European Commission had proposed that those aged 70 and over would need to undergo medical tests to prove they are still capable of driving a car every five years. However, opposition to the proposal among various EU member states as well as from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), who said the rule would be “discriminatory”, saw the European Commission revise its proposition last month – and a decision in this regard is being left to the discretion of member states.

Recycling resolutions!

Irish homes contain 15-20 broken or unused electrical items – kettles, plugs and cables, mobile phones, TVs, microwaves, laptops, power tools, vacuum cleaners, according to MyWaste.ie, which has launched a ‘Recycle your Electrical Waste for Free!’ campaign aimed at informing people what can be recycled and where – civic amenity sites and participating electrical retailers.

Ossian Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy, said the campaign is a collaboration between the government, MyWaste.ie and the national compliance schemes ERP Ireland and WEEE Ireland.

“Electrical products contain valuable raw materials, and recycling them will help Ireland to transition to a circular economy, where waste is minimised,” Minister Smyth said.

Consumer research comprising 1,000 respondents undertaken by iReach on electrical waste at homes in Ireland demonstrated that 30% of households are storing old, broken or unused electrical items in garden sheds, 25% hoard them in drawers and 16% in the attic.

E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream globally and recycling is crucial to produce enough secondary raw materials, which can be used again in manufacturing.

WEEE Ireland reports that 908k tonnes of e-waste were collected in Westmeath in 2022; and 9.47kg of waste per person in Westmeath was recycled, short of the national average of 10.33kg per person.

Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland, said: “For every 10 new small electrical products sold in Ireland last year, only four eventually come back through the approved e-waste recycling system when they reach end of life. Ireland has performed well in recycling larger household items, fridges and washing machines – we now need to extend that effort to smaller electronic items that end up languishing in our homes forgotten about, or worse, binned.

“Old and broken electrical items with a plug, battery, or cable contain valuable components. You can easily return the items for free recycling at a civic amenity site or participating electrical retailer.” Check out MyWaste.ie website and the interactive map at mywaste.ie/waste-service-locator/.

Creative February

The Arts Council is inviting all schools across Ireland to get involved in their first ever Creative February, a celebration of art and creativity in schools with a focus on fun, festivities, imagination and innovation.

Run by the Creative Schools team within the Arts Council, it will run on February 1-29, and is intended to recognise and affirm that Ireland’s schools are truly creative places, filled with creative people. A welcome pack, with posters and details has been distributed to each school across the country.

“We’re asking students and schools to share their creations online with us, tagging the Arts Council and using the hashtag #CreativeFebruary,” an Arts Council spokesperson said this week.

Ongoing updates will appear across the Arts Council’s social media platforms and the Arts Council website: artscouncil.ie/Arts-in-Ireland/Creative-Schools/Creative-February.

Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, said: “Creative February will help to spark young people’s curiosity in arts and creativity in our schools. It will provide opportunities for schools to work collaboratively with other local schools on creative projects and to develop a roadmap for self-improvement and celebration.”

One in 10 have driven after drinking

New research presented by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) shows that one in 10 Irish motorists have driven after consuming alcohol in the last 12 months.

Of those who admitted consuming alcohol, the incidence was higher among male drivers (14%), those who drive for work (14%), and those with a history of collision involvement (24%).

Almost one in three (28%) of that group admitted to consuming two or more drinks on the last occasion they drove after consuming alcohol, in the last 12 months.

Nearly three quarters (73%) of motorists surveyed agreed that ‘most of my acquaintances/friends think driving under the influence of alcohol is unacceptable’. In comparison, 85% of drivers surveyed agreed with this statement in 2019, which, the RSA has said, is a concerning decline.

Results from the 2023 Behaviour and Attitudes survey of more than 1,200 drivers were presented by the RSA at a Safe and Sober seminar last week.

Also presented at the seminar was the latest analysis from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS), which revealed that while the legal limit for the ordinary driver is 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, the average blood level remains alarmingly high at 160 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. The highest recorded blood alcohol level was 415 milligrams. The high levels are found in both younger and older drivers and in both men and women.

The latest analysis from An Garda Síochána reveals the total number of arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs for 2023 was 8,863. A total of 46,165 Mandatory Intoxicant Testing Checkpoints were conducted last year. A total of 188 fatalities occurred on Irish roads last year, the highest statistic in a decade and a 21% increase in road deaths when compared to 2022.

Rent-A-Room change

Under the Rent-A-Room scheme, homeowners can earn up to €14,000 tax-free from letting rooms out to lodgers. Up to this, however, the income did impact if the landlord or landlady was applying for a medical card or a GP visit card – but all that is about to change as the government have approved legislation to allow a disregard of the rent-a-room scheme income. “The bill will progress commitments under Housing for All, to remove potential barriers to participation in the Rent-a-Room scheme,” Minister Stephen Donnelly said, announcing the move.