As the number of spiking incidents continue to rise, fresh calls are now being made to put pressure on the Government to make the act a specific criminal offence.

Currently, spiking in Ireland can be reported as an independent offence and may be prosecuted under poisoning laws, which have been labelled as outdated and not fit for purpose.

However, there is hope on the horizon, with a new bill called the Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Bill – more commonly known as the Spiking Amendment.

A person drugging a drink in a bar. Picture by: MBI / Alamy Stock Photo

The proposed legislation was passed by the Seanad before the Dáil was dissolved in November.

Under the bill, anyone caught spiking could face up to 10 years in prison.

However, it is still waiting for a member of the Justice Committee to bring it forward to the Dáil so it can progress to the next stage and ultimately be passed into law.

'All I wanted to know was what had been given to me'

Wexford Councillor for Sinn Féin Aoife Rose O'Brien is now calling on the Government to prioritise the enactment of the bill.

“I was spiked with a very high rate of a sedative and unfortunately raped,” she told The Pat Kenny Show, in a special report by Laura Kelly.

“I woke up the next morning in a different house, I rang my best friend straight away – I can kind of vaguely remember that phone call.

“By the time she got to me, I got a cup of tea into me and we sat down; I cried, I was very confused, very disoriented.

“All I wanted to know was what had been given to me and what potentially was going to happen in an hours' time or 12 hours' time.”

Woman holding a cup of tea. Image: Viacheslav Iakobchuk / Alamy. 20 September 2017

Cllr O’Brien said she contacted health officials and was eventually brought to the victim assault unit in Waterford hospital.

Blood tests later showed that there was an “extortionate” level of sedatives in her system.

However, Cllr O’Brien said she was told by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that despite this, there was no way to prove that the encounter hadn’t been consensual, and the case was dropped.

'Far outdated'

“The legislation that is there is there since 1997 – that's far outdated,” she said.

“This is, I suppose, a new issue; I think that it did always exist, but maybe not to this height that it has been for the past couple of years.

“[The Spiking Amendment] is great change, positive change, and to give up to 10 years [in prison] is exceptional.

“I understand that the rollout of these changes can take some time, but I really hope that they can fast-track this.”

According to Cllr O’Brien, the experience was “naturally very traumatic”.

Rear view of an woman sitting on her bed looking out the window.

Managing director of NeutraPharma Europe Carsten Schnier said that manufacturers have started to add dye to drug commonly used in spiking incidents, making it easier to spot affected drinks.

He also said that there are also pocket-sized detection dip-tests that can be used to check if drinks have been spiked.

The latest Garda figures show that there were 52 incidents of spiking reported in 2023.

However, some have said official figures do not accurately reflect the reality of the situation.

If you have been impacted by rape or sexual assault you can contact the Rape Crisis Centre 24-Hour National Helpline on 1800 77 8888.

Main image: Person Spiking womans drink