More than one person per week in County Fermanagh was convicted of drink-driving offences over a three-year period, it can be revealed.

Data obtained by this newspaper shows that there were over 200 convictions for drink-driving-related offences involving defendants with an address in County Fermanagh between 2021 and 2023. In total, there were 249 prosecutions and 232 convictions.

Statistics from the Department of Justice show that in 2021 there were 83 prosecutions, leading to 81 convictions; in 2022, there were 91 prosecutions, resulting in 84 convictions; and in 2023, there were 75 prosecutions, with 67 convictions.

The majority of convicted individuals received monetary penalties, with 64 fines imposed in 2021, 68 in 2022, and 58 in 2023. Suspended custodial sentences were also handed down, albeit in smaller numbers, with 11 in 2021 and 8 in 2022. Specific figures for some sentences, including imprisonment and community service, were not disclosed by the Department of Justice where fewer than three cases occurred, according to details shared with this newspaper.

The FOI response from the Department of Justice stated that “the most severe sentence recorded during this period was five months’ imprisonment, coupled with a seven-year driving disqualification. The least severe penalty was a one-year driving ban.”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Head of Roads Policing, Chief Inspector Graham Dodds, said: “It’s disappointing that despite our repeated and well-publicised warnings, a minority of people continue to disregard the safety of themselves and others by taking the shameful and incredibly dangerous risk of driving after drinking or taking drugs.”

Laying out the reality and consequences of driving under the influence, Chief Inspector Dodds said: “If you take the unacceptable risk of driving after drinking or taking drugs, you can expect to be detected by police. You can expect to be prosecuted and lose your driving licence. If you cause a collision in which someone is killed or seriously injured, you can expect a custodial sentence.

“The stark reality is that so far this year, 40 families across Northern Ireland are coping with the death of a loved one because of a road traffic collision. Many others are recovering from serious and life-changing injuries. As a result, there are drivers having to face the fact that their actions have caused a fatal collision.”

He concluded: “Our message is very simple. Never ever drink and drive. Just one drink can impair decision-making. Just one drink can cause a collision. Just one drink could kill.”

Democratic Unionist MLA Deborah Erskine, who is the chairwoman of Stormont’s Committee for Infrastructure, called for tougher penalties. She said: “When enforcement does happen, we need to ensure that the penalty matches the crime. This is often a huge frustration for those working in enforcement and for the charities who are striving to make our roads safer. It is time for the Department of Justice to consider increasing fines, given that the vast majority of cases in court are dealt with in this way.”

Reflecting on the devastation caused by drink-driving, she said: “Anything that impairs your judgement on the road could have devastating consequences—an empty seat at the table, missed family events, and a community in grief, all because a driver felt they were invincible on the road. The onus is on each of us who gets behind the wheel.”

Mrs. Erskine noted that there is political will to tackle “this scourge” and said: “Stormont has just given the green light to the Road Safety Strategy to 2030. To ensure we reach the ambitious targets, we need to ensure every part is adequately funded, which is challenging given the budgetary constraints each Department is facing. Investment in our police is at the heart of this to ensure enforcement is carried out. I pay tribute to the Enniskillen and Omagh teams where there are a number of road policing officers.

"However, in Northern Ireland, we have 10 per cent fewer road policing officers than in 2014. That is a stark figure.”

One solution to curbing the number of people who drive home after consuming alcohol could be improving public transport links, she suggests: “Through anecdotal evidence and the Infrastructure Committee, we have heard that a lack of taxi provision and the cost of transport often push people towards taking lifts from others on a night out or driving themselves. We need to support the taxi industry and indeed create better transportation links.”

Mrs. Erskine concluded: “But most of all—we need to cut the excuses. Drink-driving is an offence. Drink-driving can kill.”