New roadside drug tests are expected to be introduced early next year on a phased basis.
Authorities have signed off on new kits, which will allow Gardai to pick up drugs like cocaine and cannabis by taking a swab from a motorists cheek.
The Medical Bureau of Road Safety said almost 70 percent of samples it was sent to test between 2007 and 2013 were positive for the presence of drugs.
Among the drugs the kit provides test results for are amphetamines, benzos, cannabis and methadone.
