Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 March 2026
55. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 80 of 25 February 2026, to list the 81 intoxicants that the Medical Bureau for Road Safety test for; to outline the process of expanding this list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17378/26]
View answerAs Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I am happy to refer the Deputy to the full list of analytes screened by the Medical Bureau for Road Safety (MBRS), on pages 34/35 of the MBRS Annual Report 2024 (www.ucd.ie/mbrs/t4media/MBRS%20Annual%20Report%202024.pdf)
With regard to the second part of the Deputy's query, I understand that the Bureau may consider adding additional analytes to the screening list on foot of feedback from An Garda Síochána and in response to trends identified by international scientific research networks. Where there is evidence that use of a substance is becoming more prevalent, the Bureau may then move to consider reporting that substance, a process that requires establishing that there is evidence that it causes impairment, developing and validating a confirmatory method and then adding it and the relevant testing method to the Bureau's accreditation.
