Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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309. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of drivers that tested positive for drug driving at new mandatory checkpoints in 2018, by month in tabular form. [43260/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that section 10 of the Road Traffic Act, 2010 provides for Mandatory Intoxicant Testing checkpoints (MIT).  The powers of An Garda Síochána under the 2010 Act were extended under the Road Traffic Act 2016 to allow preliminary, oral, fluid-testing for drugs to be undertaken at these checkpoints, in additional to the current, preliminary, breath testing for alcohol.  These provisions came into force on 13 April 2017. 

I am informed by An Garda Síochána that it has conducted a total of 101,965 MIT checkpoints nationally since April 2017.

I regret that it is not currently possible to provide the number of drivers that tested positive for drug driving at mandatory checkpoints in 2018 broken down by month, as I am advised by the Garda authorities that the compilation of these statistics would require a disproportionate expenditure of Garda time and resources.

However, the Deputy may wish to note the table below, provided by the Garda authorities, which details the number of MIT checkpoints conducted by Division; the number of Breath Test and Oral Fluid Tests conducted; the number of persons who have tested positive for alcohol or drugs at these checkpoints; and the number who Failed/Refused to provide a specimen. These figures correspond to the period from 13 April 2017 to 12 October 2018.

table contd.

* The statistics provided are provisional, operational and liable to change and are valid for the period 13^thApril 2017- 12^thOctober 2018.