As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the enforcement of road traffic legislation. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
The below table, furnished to me by the Garda authorities, provides a yearly breakdown per Garda division of the number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing Checkpoints carried out for each of the past five years.
Division
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
Cavan/Monaghan
|
2541
|
2034
|
2600
|
1923
|
823
|
Clare
|
4810
|
3298
|
2307
|
2744
|
2876
|
Cork City
|
6747
|
5186
|
3625
|
2004
|
2806
|
Cork North
|
7788
|
5556
|
6660
|
5949
|
5105
|
Cork West
|
7135
|
5120
|
5130
|
2885
|
4435
|
D.M.R. Eastern
|
594
|
563
|
603
|
165
|
168
|
D.M.R. North Central
|
440
|
558
|
648
|
357
|
254
|
D.M.R. Northern
|
648
|
397
|
575
|
302
|
535
|
D.M.R. South Central
|
549
|
408
|
282
|
108
|
127
|
D.M.R. Southern
|
584
|
519
|
562
|
843
|
689
|
D.M.R. Western
|
1309
|
790
|
969
|
632
|
560
|
Donegal
|
2416
|
2111
|
3100
|
969
|
2706
|
Galway
|
5494
|
4222
|
4652
|
1448
|
1265
|
Kerry
|
3447
|
2733
|
2722
|
2014
|
2782
|
Kildare
|
2879
|
2324
|
2220
|
834
|
1122
|
Kilkenny/Carlow
|
1504
|
1352
|
1326
|
700
|
943
|
Laois/Offaly
|
2769
|
2136
|
2183
|
800
|
652
|
Limerick
|
4506
|
5354
|
4282
|
2790
|
3227
|
Louth
|
1817
|
1543
|
1669
|
762
|
187
|
Mayo
|
2692
|
1988
|
1669
|
1541
|
1387
|
Meath
|
1181
|
1491
|
1440
|
577
|
1231
|
Roscommon/Longford
|
1610
|
2279
|
1335
|
1090
|
1534
|
Sligo/Leitrim
|
1355
|
1782
|
2146
|
1758
|
1461
|
Tipperary
|
5632
|
4724
|
4474
|
1544
|
2737
|
Waterford
|
1687
|
1582
|
1853
|
1619
|
1614
|
Westmeath
|
1223
|
1455
|
1335
|
413
|
805
|
Wexford
|
1936
|
2102
|
1925
|
862
|
814
|
Wicklow
|
1297
|
1552
|
1678
|
631
|
464
|
Total
|
76590
|
65159
|
63970
|
38264
|
43309
|
The Courts Service has also advised that courts statistics are not compiled in such a way as to provide the information sought by the Deputy and that they are unable to provide any material on prosecutions following on from road side checks.
The below table, furnished to me by the Garda authorities, provides the number of detections for drink-driving offences broken down yearly per Garda division for each of the past five years.
Division
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
Cavan/Monaghan
|
362
|
308
|
298
|
236
|
221
|
Clare
|
162
|
133
|
106
|
99
|
75
|
Cork City
|
309
|
255
|
227
|
186
|
173
|
Cork North
|
277
|
257
|
220
|
178
|
148
|
Cork West
|
191
|
169
|
165
|
116
|
86
|
D.M.R. Eastern
|
116
|
110
|
97
|
95
|
79
|
D.M.R. North Central
|
141
|
122
|
131
|
107
|
95
|
D.M.R. Northern
|
285
|
278
|
258
|
256
|
216
|
D.M.R. South Central
|
126
|
126
|
86
|
98
|
79
|
D.M.R. Southern
|
193
|
182
|
172
|
187
|
129
|
D.M.R. Western
|
339
|
259
|
320
|
297
|
230
|
Donegal
|
348
|
290
|
338
|
201
|
208
|
Galway
|
419
|
342
|
336
|
280
|
228
|
Kerry
|
260
|
234
|
230
|
132
|
144
|
Kildare
|
317
|
356
|
269
|
175
|
204
|
Kilkenny/Carlow
|
217
|
186
|
190
|
131
|
101
|
Laois/Offaly
|
249
|
205
|
210
|
121
|
106
|
Limerick
|
284
|
238
|
225
|
149
|
150
|
Louth
|
158
|
185
|
155
|
128
|
135
|
Mayo
|
227
|
204
|
156
|
123
|
105
|
Meath
|
263
|
254
|
242
|
181
|
154
|
Roscommon/Longford
|
184
|
142
|
98
|
93
|
97
|
Sligo/Leitrim
|
157
|
112
|
110
|
78
|
87
|
Tipperary
|
339
|
288
|
247
|
189
|
176
|
Waterford
|
194
|
159
|
155
|
113
|
117
|
Westmeath
|
204
|
154
|
131
|
100
|
91
|
Wexford
|
233
|
223
|
183
|
93
|
117
|
Wicklow
|
138
|
126
|
137
|
105
|
68
|
Total
|
6692
|
5897
|
5492
|
4247
|
3819
|
These figures are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2017 to 31/12/2021, inclusive. I am advised by the Garda authorities that the above figures are based upon operational data from the Pulse system as was available on 25/02/2022 and is liable to change.
I am further advised that drink-driving detections refer to incidents which have a detection status of ‘Detected’ or ‘Resulted in Proceedings’. I am informed that drug-driving detections are not included in the above figures.