Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has reviewed the new Central Statistics Office figures that show a persistent increasing trend in the recorded incidents of drug driving; if he will enhance the measures in the Road Traffic Bill 2009 to target drug drivers to include more than preliminary impairment testing for drug driving measures following the example of other governments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6417/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of the increasing trend in the number of detections of drug driving. Indeed, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, who carry out analyses of specimens of blood, urine and breath provided for the Gardaí by people suspected of intoxicated driving offences, recorded an increase of over 68% in 2008 in the number of Garda requests for drug analysis of specimens submitted. Currently, where a member of the Garda Síochána is of the opinion that a person in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place is under the influence of a drug or drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of that vehicle, he or she may require that person to go to a Garda station and further require that person to submit to a blood test or to provide a urine sample.

While random drug driving testing, based on saliva specimens, is in operation in some jurisdictions, it is very limited in application. There is no suitable preliminary testing device available in Europe yet for the introduction roadside testing of drivers for drugs. Such devices are still in the prototype stages and the Medical Bureau, who is keeping abreast of developments, will advise me when a suitable roadside-testing device becomes available and should be introduced in this country. In the meantime, the Road Traffic Bill 2009 includes provisions for preliminary impairment testing, i.e. non-technological methods by which the Gardaí can make a preliminary assessment about the possible presence of drugs.