pg. 89. Drug testing during 2020:

Despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defence Forces drug testing team provided a deterrent and detection capability through compulsory random drug test (CRDT) operations, albeit at a lower than normal level. Operations were hampered by travel restrictions, considerably reduced personal attendance at unit level and staff level issues including self-isolation requirements and low staff numbers available. The Defence Forces drug testing team completed a total of 388 drug tests in a total of 14 Defence Forces locations during 2021. Of these, there were four positive results which represents 1.8% of the numbers tested. This rate, a slight increase on 2020, is broadly in line with previous years. An additional two members failed to report for a test and one member failed to provide a sample for testing.

The overall percentage of Permanent Defence Forces (PDF) members tested in 2021 was 4.5% whilst just 0.12% of the Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) were tested as there was extremely low levels of RDF activity in 2021. This equated to 3.77% of the total PDF and RDF strength.