Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2017
45. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí in each of the Cork divisions who have been trained and are in a position to test for drug driving; the number of tests that have been carried out in each Cork division; and the number of positive results that have been identified.. [23963/17]
View answerThe priority here is that the Garda would have all the resources it needs, including training and equipment, to do the job to the best of its ability and that it would be in a position to do everything it can to make our roads safer. 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. 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.
I have requested the specific information from the Garda authorities. As soon as I have it, I will make it available to the Deputy.
While An Garda Síochána has been testing Irish drivers for drugs with the assistance of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety since 1999, my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, commenced the drug driving provisions on 12 April. Therefore, this is a very new initiative. One of the key measures in the legislation provides for preliminary drug testing, which will enable the Garda to test motorists at the roadside. The new devices will be available in Garda stations. The MBRS found, for example, that 24% of the 3,020 specimens of blood and urine that it received in 2016 confirmed positive for drugs other than alcohol. This shows us why it is so important to have introduced this new legislation. It is interesting to note that 91% of the specimens were those of male drivers, most of whom were in the 17 to 44 age group. Cannabis, followed by benzodiazepines, was the most prevalent drug detected.
I believe that the measures the Deputy has asked me about will make a positive difference. I attended the ministerial committee on road safety on Monday. Professor Cusack also attended. He is now receiving the various specimens that are being taken and analysing them. This process is just beginning and under way. Representatives of the Garda were also in attendance and assured us that gardaí have been trained. As I stated, the samples are coming through.
I will have to get the detail of who has been trained in Cork for the Deputy. 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. 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 deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
I thank the Minister for the detail on the issue of drug diving. I am particularly focused on the ability of the Garda to deal with the issue. Has it got the trained gardaí and equipment? That is the purpose of the question. Unfortunately, there is no indication of any numbers in the reply. We understood that 72 were initially trained, including 30 full-time trainers. Have any others been trained? Is the Garda training gardaí in the training college or will it continue to take gardaí off the beat to train them? This legislation did not drop out of the sky. There was an opportunity for it to be ready before it came in and to have numerous gardaí trained and ready for it. I understand it was expected that most of the traffic corps would be trained by the end of April. Has that happened? It is disappointing that the figures are not there. Can the Minister get them? We need them to establish if the Garda is in a position to deal with the issue.
I reassure the Deputy, following the meeting I attended on Monday with senior gardaí involved in traffic management and testing, that it is operational. That is the first point to make. The tests are being done and the specimens are going through, as Professor Cusack outlined at the meeting I attended. That is important. It is operational. I may need to correct the figure for new Garda recruits who are working on the traffic units around the country but I believe 67 extra gardaí are there, in addition to the 10% increase in the numbers attached to the traffic corps. There is a substantial increase, unfortunately, in the detection of drink-driving. It means people are being brought to task and before the courts. The information I have is that it is under way.
The other point, which is very important because it came up before, is that the tender for the new preliminary breath testing equipment is now live. It is hoped that all stages of that process will be completed by early 2018. 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. I will revert to the Deputy with the exact figures.
I ask her to so do. I am pleased to note the 67 extra gardaí. Are they brand new recruits or does it include trainers who are full-time on training? Are there 67 extra gardaí out there on the beat carrying out the tests? The Minister referred to the device and the tender for the equipment. Is she aware questions were raised about its ability to reliably test in cold temperatures under 5° Celsius, on winter nights and in poor weather? Is the Minister satisfied the equipment the Garda is being given is reliable and will give reliable tests and that members of the public will not be unnecessarily challenged on it? For example, will people who have prescription drugs such as codeine be safe to go through the new tests? I am keen to get the figures as soon as the Minister has them.
The point the Deputy raised about the temperature was discussed with Professor Cusack. I knew the issue had been raised. A number of issues were raised on social media in this regard and we do not want to create any anxiety. I am informed by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, which is the responsible authority for procurement, purchasing, approval and supply of the devices, that where the analyser cannot achieve 5° Celsius or where it exceeds 40° Celsius, a low temperature or high temperature message will be displayed and it will not be possible to do a test. This non-testing outside of the temperature range is a safeguard to ensure the test performs satisfactorily and is consistent. Professor Cusack was very confident about it.
The Deputy also raised a point on prescription drugs. The RSA is running public information campaigns and it emphasises it is against the law to drive under the influence of drugs, including prescribed drugs, where a motorist's driving is impaired to such an extent that he or she does not have proper control of the vehicle. There is a lot of information out there. People need to read it and to be very conscious of it and to discuss these issues with their general practitioner.
