Posted online: Aug 15th, 2008

By Donna Deeney
donna@letterkennypost.com
Exactly a year after a drug driving detection initiative was launched by Letterkenny Garda and the Road Safety campaign not one single detection has been made, the Letterkenny Post can reveal.
Veteran anti drug campaigner, PJ Blake confirmed that despite several requests to the Letterkenny Garda for figures he has consistently been told no figures are available.
He said: “This initiative had a very public launch on August 13 last year and I was among those who attended.
“I was greatly heartened by it and by the idea that this issue was at long last being taken seriously but it now appears to have been nothing but a PR exercise.
“At the time Superintendent Vincent O’Brien stated that the Garda Siochana was committed to detecting and reducing the number of people who were driving while on drugs and that they had set an initial target of 10 per cent.
“Well, it’s not hard to get 10 per cent of nothing.”
Mr Blake cited a lack of suitable equipment for the failure of the Garda to make a single detection.
He added: “The Guards I talk to on patrol tell me their hands are tied because they have don’t have a notion about detecting drugs and have no equipment to do it but there is equipment out there and it has been in use by the Melbourne police for years which is why they have a zero tolerance.
“If the Garda here were truly serious about this issue the necessary equipment would be here too.”
The Letterkenny Post contacted the Garda in Letterkenny through the press office for a response but at the time of going to press no one was available for comment.