Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for leaving the meeting earlier but I had to attend another meeting. At our meeting with the Medical Bureau of Road Safety we discussed the issue of drug testing. People are escaping conviction on technicalities in the alcohol testing system, which everybody acknowledges is very well defined in terms of technology, equipment and legislation. Given the complexity of drug testing, there is a prospect of major loopholes in the legislation. We are discussing new legislation on drug testing and impaired driving due to drug use. The bureau identified a range of drugs which could impair driving. I fear we will be creating loopholes in the legislation unless we get some assistance. There is no point in drafting legislation that is not going to work.