If Gardaí Are Drug Tested, Should Politicians Be Next? Episode 633

This episode, Niall opens the phone lines to hear directly from listeners on a question that cuts across privacy, public trust, and workplace safety:

Should all jobs include random drug and alcohol testing?

The debate comes as long-delayed plans to introduce drug testing for An Garda Síochána move closer to reality. Back in 2021, the Department of Justice announced Gardaí would be subject to drug testing, similar to the Defence Forces — yet nearly five years on, the regulations remain unpublished.

Former Garda Sergeant Christy Galligan says the delay is unacceptable and argues that if Gardaí are to be tested, elected officials should be too.

“An Garda Síochána can’t be enforcing the law if they’re breaking it themselves,” he says. “That’s not being glib — that’s a fact.”

Galligan points out that:

The PSNI has had substance misuse testing since 2008

The Irish Defence Forces randomly test around 10% of personnel

Any Garda testing system must carefully address the risk of false positives, particularly given contamination risks in stations and during searches

While acknowledging these challenges, Galligan believes random testing should go much further — extending across the public service, civil service, and even TDs, arguing that if testing is introduced, it should be applied fairly and across the board.

But critics raise serious concerns. They argue that what someone does in their private life — whether that’s smoking cannabis or taking cocaine — is not the business of their employer, and that random testing could be overreach, intrusive, or unnecessary outside of safety-critical roles.

So Niall puts it to you, the listeners:

👉 Should Gardaí, TDs, and public servants all be subject to random drug testing?
👉 Should alcohol testing be included as well?
👉 Do privacy rights outweigh public trust — or vice versa?
👉 Should jobs involving major decisions come with stricter scrutiny?