Number of trained gardai for drug testing in Cork queried

An issue as to whether there are sufficient gardaí in County Cork to test for drug driving effectively was raised in the Dáil by Fianna Fáil Deputy Aindrias Moynihan.

“At more than 13,000 km and covering one seventh of the area of the Republic, Cork has the largest road network in the country,” he said. “The Medical Bureau of Road Safety, MBRS, tells us that one in ten drivers killed in road accidents failed toxicology tests. We are trying to establish if the gardaí in Cork are in a position to test for drug driving effectively.”

In reply, the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said it is estimated that drug driving is a factor in approximately one in ten fatal crashes. “Drug driving not only puts the driver at risk but also passengers and others who share the roads,” she said. “The road safety figures have improved in the recent weeks and month and we have seen a welcome reduction in the number of fatalities and injuries this year so far.”

The Tánaiste said she would have to get the detail of who has been trained in Cork. She added that the tender for the new preliminary breath testing equipment is now live. “It is hoped all stages of that process will be completed by early 2018,” she said.

“The new equipment, which is available in the marketplace, both for alcohol and drugs, has the capacity to record the time, GPS location and the number of persons breath tested. It has the capacity to download the information automatically.

“If one considers the kind of information that came out on alcohol testing, it is a major improvement.”