LIVE: 'Out of control,' number of garda drug and alcohol checkpoints in Tipperary revealed

The Clare and Tipperary Garda Division bucks the national trend with a 10.9% increase in Mandatory Intoxication Testing.

Checkpoints conducted by An Garda Síochána in the Clare and Tipperary areas between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, going from 940 checkpoints in Q3 2024 up to 1043 checkpoints in Q3 2025.

READ NEXT: RIP: 'King of raffles,' tributes paid to much-loved Tipperary man after sad passing

EU Transport Committee MEP, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, recently highlighted significant increases in drug driving figures across most garda districts in Ireland.

The MEP has followed this with an analysis of the number of drink and drug driving checkpoints gardaí conducted across every district in the country.

Figures taken from the Garda PULSE system on 03/11/2025, show significant decreases in the number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing Checkpoints conducted by An Garda Síochána across many Garda districts between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025. This at a time when drug driving is at epidemic levels and road deaths are soaring.

12,930 Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) Checkpoints were carried out nationally 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.

READ NEXT: PICTURES: Popular Tipperary couple celebrate special 60th wedding anniversary

Ní Mhurchú described as even more concerning the fact 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.

140 people were killed on Irish roads in 2019, 45 less people than in 2025.

Ní Mhurchú, a member of the EU Transport committee, 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 our roads, not decreasing them.

READ NEXT: RTÉ Crimecall Tipperary appeal over fatal hit and run incident 42 years ago

According to Ní Mhurchú, the difference in the number of checkpoints between 2019 and 2025 is frightening.

"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.

"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.

"I want to know the rationale for it. If it is a resource issue, lets deal with it but it must be pointed out that there were more gardaí in 2025 than there were in 2019”

Ní Mhurchú has called on garda management to clarify why there was an overall reduction in roadside testing, according to the gardaí’s own figures, when 185 people lost their lives on our roads in 2025?

Ní Mhurchú 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.

Number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) Checkpoints Gardai carried out on our roads. A quarter on quarter comparison.

Broken down by Garda Division: