Drop in drink and drug driving checkpoints in Cork prompts call to ramp up testing

Mandatory drink and drug testing was down sharply in Cork last year compared to the previous 12 months, garda data shows.

The drop in testing across both city and county has led to calls for gardaí to reverse the decline and ramp up testing once more.

Comparing the third quarters of 2024 and last year, Cork city saw an 11% fall in the number of mandatory intoxication testing checkpoints carried out, with a 7% fall in the county.

In Cork city in the last quarter of 2024, some 810 were carried out, while 12 months on, they had dropped to 720. In the county in the same 12 months, they went from 1,835 checkpoints carried out to 1,704.

Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú called on garda management to clarify why there was a reduction in roadside testing in a year when 185 people lost their lives on roads in 2025.

Out of control

She claimed that drug driving is "out of control", saying figures for the offence from the courts service show a 37% increase in cases coming before district courts in the first 10 months of 2025.

“This should be evidence enough for gardaí to launch a massive increase in drug and drink driving checkpoints – but they have done the opposite and reduced them. I want to know the rationale for it.

“If it is a resource issue, let’s deal with it, but it must be pointed out that there were more gardaí in 2025 than there were in 2019.”

She said it is important to note that 140 people were killed on Irish roads in 2019, which is 45 fewer than in 2025.

The latest road death figures for 2026 show that up to January 30, some 11 people have died. These are the same figures for the total casualties up to January 30, 2025.

Road fatalities

According to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Cork was among the deadliest in the country when it came to road fatalities last year. In 2025, there were 185 fatalities on public roads in Ireland, an 8% increase from 2024, and an average of 15 deaths per month.

Cork at 21 was second only to Dublin, which had 22, when it came to fatalities.

Gardaí ramped up their road traffic enforcement activity over the bank holiday weekend, with every member on duty conducting testing in addition to the normal dedicated bank holiday checkpoints seen across the country.

Some 765 people were arrested across the country for driving under the “influence of an intoxicant” between December and January 5, the traditional Christmas celebration weeks.

More than half were for driving under the influence of alcohol, while 44% were for driving under the influence of drugs. 

The garda press office had not replied to queries on mandatory checkpoints in Cork at the time of writing.