Drug-driving cases rise 5% in Carlow as national figures soar by 37%

TWENTY-THREE people appeared before Carlow District Court on drug-driving charges in the first 10 months of this year, representing a 5% increase on the 22 cases heard during the full year of 2024.

The local figures come as drug-driving prosecutions have surged nationally, with 2,050 people before the district courts up to October 2025, a 37% jump on the 1,499 cases prosecuted in the full year of 2024, according to figures supplied to Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú by the Irish Courts Service.

In neighbouring Kilkenny, the trend moved in the opposite direction, with 25 people appearing on drug-driving charges in the first 10 months of 2025, down from 33 in the full year of 2024, a 24% decrease.

The 2025 figures mark the highest level on record for drug-driving prosecutions in the district court system nationally.

MEP Ní Mhurchú has called for decisive action this Christmas to curb what she described as an “escalating threat” of drug driving on Irish roads.

“We need an expanded roadside drug testing regime this Christmas period on our roads,” she said. “We also need to consider policies whereby anyone convicted of drug driving is required to re-sit their driving test or, at minimum, complete a comprehensive driver re-education programme. They have to get the message that they are a danger to other innocent road users.” The Ireland South MEP said the trend reflects a steady rise since 2020, when 390 people faced drug-driving prosecutions nationally, but warned that this year’s sharp escalation is particularly alarming.

She described the cases that make it to the district court as being the “tip of the iceberg when it comes to drug driving.” Ms Ní Mhurchú has also suggested using something called a modified interlock test for repeat drug offenders, a device that is already in use for repeat drink driving offenders. This would mean that a clean drug test would be required to start the car in addition to random tests (breath samples in the case of drink driving).

She described these measures as an essential ramp-up in the fight against drug driving in an effort to protect all road users and restore confidence in road safety this festive season.

As of 9 December, 170 people had lost their lives on Irish roads this year - seven more than on the same date in 2024.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​