Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I have been very concerned, as have my constituents and people throughout the country, with the very significant increase in the number of people taking drugs in every town, village and county in the country. I spoke with some doctors this morning and we discussed the admission into psychiatric hospitals of people who have taken drugs. If this is happening, there must be more people driving under the influence of drugs. I welcome the compulsory testing measures for drink driving. The time has come in Ireland and every other country to put a test in place. There must be compulsory testing on a regular basis of people driving under the influence of drugs. There is no doubt there are hundreds of people killed in the country every year by people who have taken drugs and who subsequently walk away. We do not have the relevant figures. How close are we to having some compulsory drug testing in the country both for drivers and in the workplace?

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