Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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255. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider amending an element of the Road Traffic Acts (details supplied); if he is aware of claims that the limited three-hour window is causing undue pressure for An Garda Síochána to collect blood samples and could be helping intoxicated drivers evade the collection of a blood sample; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49181/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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As Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, I wish to advise that the procedures for drink and drug driver testing are set out in the Road Traffic Act 2010 (as amended). Where a person is arrested on suspicion of driving or attempting to drive while intoxicated, the Act requires a designated doctor or nurse to take a blood or urine sample within three hours. The three-hour window ensures that the sample collected is a true reflection of the concentration of drugs and/or alcohol in the body. Accordingly, I am satisfied that there is no requirement to amend the Act at this time. However, I am prepared to consider submissions from qualified stakeholders on this matter.

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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256. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider amending the Road Traffic Acts to allow a designated doctor to take a blood sample (details supplied); if he is aware that this is standard practice in many jurisdictions, such as Australia, where blood samples are taken by medical professionals and placed in a container with a tamper-evident seal that has a unique identifying number marked on it and stored in a one-way box for collection by the police; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49182/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that the Road Traffic Act 2010 provides for a designated doctor or nurse to take a blood or urine specimen from a person who has been arrested for driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant. Accordingly, I am satisfied that there is no requirement to further amend the Act at this time.