Skip to main content
Normal View

Defence Forces Drug Tests

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018

Tuesday, 24 July 2018

Questions (53)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

53. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the dates of all the mandatory drug testing that took place at Casement Aerodrome in the past 15 years; the number of personnel tested on each occasion; the number of failed tests; the reason for failure of same; the surname letters used to select those scheduled for testing (details supplied); and the number of personnel scheduled for testing that were not tested. [32925/18]

View answer

Written answers

The unique and challenging nature of military service requires that military personnel are free from the presence or influence of any controlled drug or substance.  The Defence Forces conduct Compulsory Random Drug Testing of all employees with approximately 10% of Defence Forces personnel tested annually.

Compulsory Random Drug Testing (CRDT) commenced in the Defence Forces in 2003. The military authorities have informed me that collection of statistical data on the number of personnel tested in Casement Aerodrome did not commence until 2007.

The following table shows the year of test, the number of personnel tested and the number of failures, carried out at the Air Corps Casement Aerodrome since 2007.

Year 

 Number Tested

 Failures

(Positive Tests)

 2007

 166

 0

 2008

 0

 0

 2009

 130

 0

 2010

 9

 0

 2011

 0

 0

 2012

 43

 0

 2013

 44

 0

 2014

 113

 0

 2015

 221

 1

 2016

 48

 1

 2017

 87

  1 

 2018

 70

 2

 Total

 931

 6

 While information on these individual failures cannot be divulged, there are a number of reasons why a failure may occur:

- the sample provided reveals the presence of a controlled drug or other substance, at a concentration level equal to or greater than the allowable cut off level;

- the sample provided, having been tested by a designated civilian laboratory, reveals evidence of adulteration; or

- an individual refused to have the "B" sample tested on having tested positive on the "A" sample.

The military authorities have advised me that any further information, such as the initial of the surname of the person tested, cannot be divulged as it is seen to be in breach of the Data Protection policy.

In order to preserve the operational integrity of the CRDT process, I have also been advised that details pertaining to randomly selected individuals cannot be released.

Top
Share