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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 12 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 5

Written Answers - Road Safety.

Tom Enright

Question:

147 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the permitted limits for a person charged under the Road Traffic Acts of driving under the influence of drugs; if there are any specific limits for drugs similar to the limits for driving under the influence of alcohol; and his views on whether the current situation for driving under the limits for drugs is satisfactory. [11269/01]

The Government strategy on road safety, 1998-2002, recognises that the influence of drugs on driving behaviour is an issue of increasing concern. Identification of the presence of drugs is however more complex than for alcohol. Consequently, considerably more work is needed to develop a more detailed regulatory regime in relation to drugs and driving. A number of research programmes are being carried out internationally in this area and the strategy commits the Government to monitoring and assessing these developments.

In order to advance research in relation to drugs and driving in Ireland, my Department has pledged an additional £200,000 to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety – MBRS – over 2000 and 2001 for a two-year programme of drug analysis of blood and urine specimens. Preliminary findings of this programme were made available last year by the MBRS. These findings are based on samples submitted to the MBRS between 1 July and 31 December 1999 which proved to be under the legal limit for alcohol. Within this sub-set of samples, further MBRS analysis screened some 37% as being positive for drugs, the most common being cannabis.
These early findings underline the Government's view expressed in the road safety strategy that drugs and driving is an issue of growing concern. While it is too early to draw definitive conclusions, the research programme when completed will, along with other international analysis and research in this area, inform the need for possible changes in testing methods for the presence of drugs, changes in enforcement practice and procedures and possibly changes to existing legislation.
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