Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae has called for the government to introduce drink-driving permits for those living in rural areas.
The Independent TD made the suggestion in the Dáil today, saying the permits would help with rural isolation.
He said people living in rural Ireland are suffering from isolation and depression by not being able to go to the pub and have been "isolated in their homes like rabbits trapped in a burrow".
Additionally, he said pubs are closing down in towns and villages and that there had been "smithereens made of the social fabric" in Ireland
To remedy these issues, people living in the country should be allowed drive on certain rural roads after a couple of drinks under a special license, he said.
People need a chance to live, he said, because "all work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy".
Speaking on The Hard Shoulder with Ivan Yates this afternoon, Mr Healy-Rae said he wanted the permits to cover people having two pints only.
He said: “Things are stone dead and people are isolated and marooned in their homes around the rural parts of Kerry.
“My proposal is that if you live down a narrow country road...you would be allowed to have a permit from the gardaí.
"They could distribute these permits to people who live in rural, isolated places which would allow them travel on that rural road only.
However, Tánaiste Simon Coveney rejected Mr Healy-Rae's proposal in the Dáil, calling it "blatant, irresponsible nonsense".
Mr Coveney said it was not helpful to make the case that to keep pubs open people should be allowed to drink and drive.
He said: "That is not only irresponsible, but I think it is an insult to so many families who continue to mourn the deaths of people who’ve been killed by people drinking and driving.
“In terms of trying to return to some kind of old Ireland that was better because people could get into their cars regardless of whether they’ve been drinking or not, and regardless of whether they represented danger on the road, is just blatant, irresponsible nonsense, quite frankly.”
Mr Healy-Rae countered that it was not people in rural Ireland "having two or three drinks" who caused the fatalities.
He said: "People have their heads down because they're socially deprived and the only outlet they had was the local pub."
The Tánaiste agreed that social isolation is an issue, but that rural Ireland was changing and reiterated that it was "irresponsible" to suggest that the problem could be reduced through drink-driving.
He said: "The first thing we need to do with people on our roads is to ensure they are capable of driving and are not impacted by alcohol or drugs or anything else that can endanger other people who are using those roads."
