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Brendan Christina Donnelly

Mother whose son was killed by drink driver brings about change in bail law

Drink drivers involved in fatal crashes will not be permitted to drive while they are awaiting trial.

AN AMENDMENT IN bail legislation will prohibit drink drivers involved in fatal accidents from driving while they await a court date.

Christina Donnelly, whose youngest son Brendan and his friend Lee Salkeld died in a car crash involving a drunk driver in October 2009, has spent the last seven years advocating for changes in legislation surrounding drink driving.

‘Brendan’s Law’ was raised in the Dáil a number of times before being approved by Cabinet this week.

Welcoming the decision, Christina said: “This will never bring our loved ones back but it will offer some semblance of justice to bereaved families in the future and could also save lives.

“During the years I have been campaigning to strengthen the law, I have been contacted by families from all over Ireland and Europe who believe this is the correct thing to do. My heart is broken when I think of Brendan but, today, some good has come from our many years fighting for change.”

Junior minister John Halligan has backed the amendment for some time, saying it will “provide for stricter bail conditions so that a court will be able to prohibit a person charged with a serious road traffic offence causing a fatality from driving until their trial”.

As Christina Donnelly has said since she started her campaign, this will reduce the risk of further road traffic offences being committed while an accused person is out on bail. She deserves great credit for her tireless campaign in bringing Brendan’s tragic story to the Dáil.

Transport Minister Shane Ross said his department has been examining the “circumstances whereby a person may lose their licence following arrest for a serious road traffic offence … with a view to the strengthening of the law in this area”.

Christina Donnelly image Christina with the Independent Alliance's Ross and Halligan Independent Alliance Independent Alliance

“I hope that this proposal may provide some comfort to those families who, like Christina, have lost a loved one through the selfish act of a driver who has committed a serious road traffic offence including a drunk or drug driver who has been charged with dangerous driving causing death.

“It sends out a strong message to those who commit serious road traffic offences that you may now lose your licence to drive in advance of any conviction in court,” Ross stated.

Read: ‘My Brendan was killed by a drunk driver – it left a desperate void in our lives’

Read: This heartbreaking video should stop drink drivers in their tracks this Christmas

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    Mute Patrick J. Keating
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    Aug 9th 2022, 7:15 AM

    Poke a tiger. What happens next?

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    Mute Aidy McBride
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    Aug 9th 2022, 7:46 AM

    @Patrick J. Keating: he gets an Eagle on a par 4

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    Mute Michael Geraghty
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    Aug 9th 2022, 7:47 AM

    @Patrick J. Keating: tiger sex?

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    Mute Earth Traveller
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    Aug 9th 2022, 9:05 AM

    @Patrick J. Keating: So you would always give in to a bully? The CCP is having a hissy fit and they need to get over themselves.

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    Mute Declan Doherty
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    Aug 9th 2022, 3:41 PM

    @Earth Traveller: No-one said anything about giving in. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing position. Pelosi went on a solo run to needlessly stoke up tensions and the only people who will ultimately suffer are the Taiwanese.

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    Mute Patrick J. Keating
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    Aug 9th 2022, 4:09 PM

    @Michael Geraghty: Don’t forget to let me know how you get on with that.

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Aug 9th 2022, 9:09 AM

    Of course they are preparing to invade. Didn’t Russia do / say they were doing the same type of drills before invading Ukraine ?

    Just wondering how many people
    will be putting Taiwan flags up when China does invade …

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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Aug 9th 2022, 10:12 AM
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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Aug 9th 2022, 11:05 AM

    I always appreciated the quality difference of the Taiwan rubber King Kong as compared to the ‘made in china’ version. The Taiwan version always had a bit more character and detail, and more durability…..less ‘perishing’.

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    Mute John Kavanagh
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    Aug 9th 2022, 11:58 AM

    @Keth Warsaw: there also brilliant for shoe for the 1 legged people ….

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    Mute Eddie O'Neill
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    Aug 9th 2022, 12:06 PM

    @Keth Warsaw: LOL

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    Mute François Pignon
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    Aug 9th 2022, 10:27 AM

    First hong kong, second ukraine, third taiwan? The russians need china to take taiwan for semiconductors for weapons as they are running out.

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    Mute Lee King Buckett
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    Aug 9th 2022, 7:55 PM

    @François Pignon: That’s not going to happen at all. Taiwan can’t produce semiconductors without the machinery and raw materials it gets from Europe. Any invasion would see those supplies stop immediately.

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    Mute trebloc01
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    Aug 9th 2022, 1:33 PM

    Thanks Ms Pelosi

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