THERE ARE INSTANCES where people arrested on suspicion of drug driving could be released without charge due to gardaí being unable to get a doctor to carry out a blood test, a new report has said. 

The Authority has today published its Assessment of Policing Performance 2023, evaluating An Garda Síochána’s performance over the course of last year. 

The report outlines that there were 188 deaths on Irish roads in 2023, the highest yearly figure since 2014 when there were 192 deaths. 

In the first two months of 2024, there were 7,647 checkpoints carried out on Irish roads. 

A total of 878 arrests were made for drink driving offences and 488 arrests were made for drug driving offences. 

In its report today, the Policing Authority said it is aware of local concerns in many divisions as to the lack of availability of doctors to administer blood tests of people arrested on the road side after being suspected of drug driving.

Currently, An Garda Síochána, following a roadside test and arrest, must have a doctor undertake a blood test to confirm the presence of drugs or alcohol, the Authority said. This is required to progress charges. 

However, the Authority said there is a widespread challenge in accessing doctors in a timely manner and “as such, there are suspects of drink or drug driving that are required to be released without charge after a number of hours without test”. 

The Authority said that in response to trends seen regarding drug driving, there were around 32,000 roadside drug testing devices issued to members last year.

There has also been a documented decrease in the number of members allocated to roads policing units nationally, the Authority said. 

However, it said it is “important to note that there is no strong evidence that changes in roads policing members’ numbers have a strong influence on road collisions and that 25% of roads policing enforcement is undertaking by members on regular units”. It said this rises to 75% of all drink driving offence detections. 

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris issued a directive earlier this month that all uniform gardaí will have to carry out 30 minutes of roads policing per shift.

Protests

The increase in protest activity across Ireland, particularly in Dublin, was “stark” in 2023, the Authority said. 

Nationally, there was approximately 375 protests in Ireland in 2022, around 300 of which too place in Dublin. 

Last year, this rose to over 700 nationally, of which more than 550 took place in Dublin. 

The Authority said that “the right to protest is a fundamental and important right, and in the main most protest activity is peaceful and occurs without incident”. 

It said it has engaged with the Garda Commissioner on the approach to policing protests and has discussed the balance of rights that has been undertaken. 

“However, clearly Ireland has seen a growing public expression and manifestation of hatred, xenophobia, negative stereotyping and sweeping statements attacking or casting in a negative light, vulnerable groups and minorities,” the report said. 

The Authority said that in this regard, the balance of the right to protest and free speech with the protection of the vulnerable “is not an easy task, particularly in the face of hostility”. 

It said some of the hostility has been “directed at Garda members in the performance of their duties”.