Significant decrease in number of Garda checkpoints in the Midlands as drug driving soars

There has been a significant decrease in the number of Garda checkpoints in the Midlands as drug driving soars, according to EU Transport Committee MEP, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú

The MEP recently highlighted the substantial increases in drug driving figures across most Garda districts in Ireland. 

She also followed this with an analysis of the number of drink and drug driving checkpoints Gardaí conducted across every district in the country.

The new analysis showcased a 25.1% fall in the number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing Checkpoints conducted by An Garda Síochána in the Laois/Offaly Garda district between Q3 2024 and Q4 2025.

The number of checkpoints to detect drink and drug driving in Laois and Offaly between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025 fell from 477 to 357 checkpoints.

Ní Mhurchú also illustrated a surge in drug driving cases including a 7% increase in drug driving cases at the Tullamore district court office.

At national level, 12,930 Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) Checkpoints were carried out throughout Q3 2024 but this fell to 11,958 checkpoints by Q3 2025, a drop of 7.5% - against a backdrop of a worrying spike in road deaths in Ireland.

Ní Mhurchú pointed out a concerning trend that a simple trawl back through Garda figures from Q3 2019, show that 15,392 Mandatory Intoxication Testing Checkpoints were carried out nationally during Q3 2019 - 3,434 more checkpoints than in Q3 2025. 

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She made it clear that with road deaths at unprecedented levels, Garda management should be dramatically increasing the number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) Checkpoints on the roads, not decreasing them. 

According to Ní Mhurchú, the difference in the number of checkpoints between 2019 and 2025 is frightening which she says is reflected in the statistics between the two periods. 

The EU Transport Committee MEP stated: "Gardaí carried out thousands more roadside alcohol and drug checkpoints in 2019 than they did in 2025. The figures speak for themselves. In 2019, we had 140 deaths, but in 2025, we had 185 deaths.

Drug driving is out of control but now Gardaí are testing less people meaning the drug driving figures I recently received from the courts service are only the tip of the iceberg."

She added: "Those figures show a 37% increase in cases coming before our district courts for drug driving 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."

Ní Mhurchú has called on Garda management to clarify why there was an overall reduction in roadside testing: She said: "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."

Ní Mhurchú, a member of the EU Transport committee raised the issue in the context of a bank holiday weekend, which are frequently flashpoints for serious road collisions and fatalities.

The Road Traffic Measures Bill 2023 was expected to empower the Minister for Transport to introduce double penalty points for driving offences during bank holiday weekends.

However, it remains unclear why this measure has not been implemented. Ní Mhurchú has written to the Minister seeking clarification on whether this provision will be enacted and, if not, the reasons for that decision.