New bill seeks up to ten years jail for drink-spiking offenses

In the Dáil, Sinn Féin TDs Mark Ward and Maire Devine presented the Spiking Offences Bill 2026, which would set a maximum ten-year imprisonment term for drink-spiking convictions. The proposal stems from a recent campaign by the Cork Sexual Violence Centre demanding a dedicated offence. Under existing law, spiking is only addressed within the Non-Fatal Against the Persons Act 1997, and no prosecutions have been recorded since 2022.

The bill urges the justice minister to task An Garda Síochána with establishing toxicology testing pathways in police stations and clinical settings, as testing is not automatic today. Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan cited 339 reported spiking incidents since 2021 but acknowledged the lack of court statistics due to one outlet legal framework. The legislation aims to protect victims like a 92-year-old man who was allegedly humiliated by a spiked drink in a rural pub.