The new lower drink-driving limit was passed in the Dáil last night.

Provision for a new acceptable blood alcohol limit of 50mg, replacing the current 80mg, is contained in the Road Traffic Bill.

The Bill passed through the Dáil last night but was not actually voted on as agreement on its contents was reached on all sides.

The Bill now moves to the Seanad where it is due to be dealt with next week.

The limit for learner and professional drivers has been cut from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 20mg and from 80mg to 50mg for other drivers.

Drivers caught over the limit would receive three penalty points and a €200 fine, if they do not challenge the conviction in court, but they would not receive a driving ban.

An estimated 40,000 people walked under the River Shannon through the new Limerick Tunnel which opened to the public for an open day today.

It was the last chance for the public to walk the tunnel before it officially opens at the end of July.

The Limerick Tunnel took four years to construct at a capital cost of €660m, and is one of the biggest infrastructural projects ever in the Mid-West region – rivalled only by the construction of the hydroelectric power station at Ardnacrusha during the early 1930s.

It is due to open at the end of July, well ahead of its scheduled opening date of 17 September.

The tunnel will provide a fourth crossing of the river Shannon in Limerick, and will take an estimated 27,000 cars out of the city centre.

The tunnel will improve access times for commuters to the city, as well as access to Shannon Airport, Galway, Cork, Kerry and Dublin.

The open day was from 10am to 7pm, but thousands of people had already gathered from 9am to be among the first group through the tunnel.

Direct Route, the company which built the tunnel, also provided food and canteen facilities at the end of the tunnel, and park and ride facilities to help in traffic management.

They were hoping to raise over €100,000 for charities through the sale of a special commemorative brochure.

A man in his 30s has been killed in a crash at the Donegal International car rally.

He was the co-driver of a car that crashed on a bad bend between Fanad and Ramelton this afternoon.

The event has been suspended and a decision will be made later this evening if it will resume tomorrow.

  This is the first time a competitor has been killed in the rally. In 2008, a spectator was killed and in 2002 two stewards were killed.

The Topaz Donegal International Rally is one of the biggest sporting events taking place in the country this weekend with an estimated 70,000 spectators expected in the county for the three-day.

This is the 38th rally and it was expected to generate €25m.

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry says new car sales so far this year have already exceeded the total for 2009.

Just over 57,000 new cars were bought last year, the lowest number in many years.

However, the industry says it is already exceeded that figure in the first five months of 2010.

It is now thought that up to 80,000 new cars will be sold this year.

Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, Alan Nolan, says the scrappage scheme has helped to kick start things.

The final section of the new Dublin to Cork motorway will be opened later today in Co Laois – bypassing the towns of Abbeyleix, Durrow and Cullahill.

Three notorious bottlenecks on the Dublin to Limerick route will also be left behind with the opening of a section of the new M7 motorway.

However motorists will face toll charges on journeys that could be shortened by up to 45 minutes at peak times.

It has been under construction for three years – costing almost €500m to build.

The new M7-M8 motorway will open to traffic at 4pm this afternoon four months ahead of schedule and bypassing six of the country’s worst traffic bottlenecks.

The Dublin to Cork section that is now complete could save up to three quarters of an hour from journeys at peak time.

The Limerick end will not be finished until later in the year but today’s opening means the bypassing of one of the most lethal stretches of roadway in the country between Mountrath and Borris-on-Ossory where more than 30 lives have been lost.

The toll charge for cars will €1.80 – bringing in expected daily revenue of over €30,000 from today.

Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority have said that people are not getting the message about the dangers of using mobile phones while driving.

Last year 35,000 people were given penalty points for this offence, the highest since the ban on using mobile phones was introduced in September 2006.

That makes it the biggest penalty point offence behind speeding.

A study by the Road Safety Authority has found that one in five people admit using their phone while driving. One in ten admits texting when they are behind the wheel.

Research shows that texters spend 400% more time with their eyes off the road.

Those who use mobiles when driving are four times more likely to be involved in a collision.

The study also says that using a hands-free kit while driving is not any safer than a handheld mobile.

Motorists in Wexford and Waterford have been advised to take care because of an oil spill on the N25.

The spill stretches for over 60km from the M25 near the toll plaza in Waterford City and onto the N25 to New Ross and into Wexford town.

AA Roadwatch said that road conditions are extremely slippery, particularly at roundabouts outside New Ross and Wexford.

The local councils have been informed of the spill.