818. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Air Corps pilots currently grounded for being intoxicated on duty. [17888/17]

Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Deputy Paul Kehoe): The unique and challenging nature of military service requires that military personnel are free from the presence or influence of any controlled drug or substance. The Defence Forces conduct Compulsory Random Drug Testing (CRDT) of all employees with approximately 10% of Defence Forces personnel tested annually.

The Military Authorities have advised me that there are no Air Corps pilots currently grounded for being intoxicated on duty. However, as the Deputy will be aware, following a recent Compulsory Random Drug Testing in Casement Aerodrome Baldonnel, one member of the Defence Forces tested as "unclear" for a controlled substance.

It is the case that under Defence Force Administrative Procedures, unclear initial test sample results cannot be considered positive until the sample provided has been tested by a designated civilian laboratory and the presence of a controlled drug is revealed. Therefore, the administrative process for the recent "unclear" test remains ongoing and it would not be appropriate to comment further in respect of an individual case.

819. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces that have failed or missed the mandatory drug testing in the past five years; the position of each person in each branch of the Defence Forces; and the action that was taken in each instance. [17889/17]

Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Deputy Paul Kehoe): The unique and challenging nature of military service requires that military personnel are free from the presence or influence of any controlled drug or substance. The Defence Forces conduct Compulsory Random Drug Testing (CRDT) of all employees with approximately 10% of Defence Forces personnel tested annually.

The following table shows the number of Defence Forces personnel, Army, Air Corps and Naval Service that have failed or missed the Defence Forces Compulsory Random Drug Testing in the past five years.

The military authorities have advised me that the position of members of the Defence Forces who have failed or missed mandatory drug testing cannot be divulged under the provisions of the Data Protection Act. However, the following actions were undertaken in each instance:-     

* The objective of Targeted Drug Testing (TDT) is to ensure that an individual, who has tested positive for the presence of a controlled drug in a Compulsory Random Drug Test but who conditionally remains in service as a result of a decision of their Formation Commander, is devoid of the presence and/or influence of any controlled drug or substance. TDT involves the individual agreeing to submit to targeted drugs testing, in addition to the random selection process, for a period of up to 18 months.