Bernard Allen, the Fine Gael spokesperson on Tourism, Sport and Trade, yesterday called for new legislation to support the campaign against the use of performance enhancing drugs. Commenting on the well documented problems of mounting and sustaining an effective random testing programme, he said that it presented sports people and sports federations, with some of their biggest challenges.

"It's absolutely crucial that we succeed in eliminating this scourge of modern sport, even if we have to introduce new legislation to beef up the system," he said.

"Education is this area is as important as testing and with the co-operation and goodwill of all concerned, there is no reason why we cannot meet the challenges which now confront us."

Allen, who in his two and a half years as Minister for Sport, repeatedly focused on the drugs issue, established an expert group under the chairmanship of Brendan Buckley of University College, Cork, last May, to advise him on policy and procedures in this complex area.

Now, he is calling on the Government to introduce its anti-doping sports policy sooner rather than later. "There is no reason why it should not be published soon - much of the preparatory work is already in place," he said.

"Agreement has been reached with the Sports Councils in both Northern Ireland and the UK for the shared use of facilities and we should now take advantage of that arrangement."

Launching his party's document, Drug Testing and Education Programme for Sport in Ireland, in Dublin yesterday, Allen was asked about the difficulties in policing a programme of random testing.

He acknowledged that there were some problems and because of them, it was imperative that expert legal and medical opinion was available to his successor as Minister, Dr James McDaid.

Listing education and research as key elements in any drugs programme, he also spoke at some length on the need to harmonise the modus operandi. He said that the aims of achieving harmonisation included:

Common operating standards for testing procedures to ensure a fair and equitable system for all athletes.

The establishment of an international system for sample collection.

The implementation of minimum operating standards which could provide a firm basis on which to build bilateral and multilateral anti-doping agreements between countries, thereby encouraging sports organisations and countries to seek common standards.

Summing up, he said that a national anti-doping organisation should be established to operate independently of, but in association with, individual sports federations, both national and international.

To achieve harmonisation, national governing bodies and international sports federations should attempt to make maximum use of the common testing services offered by this national anti-doping organisation.

An independent statutory agency should be established under the aegis of the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation to oversee the development and implementation of an anti-doping policy.

The membership of this agency should be made up of representatives of the Irish Sports Council, the various national governing bodies of sport and the Olympic Council of Ireland. It should also include members of the medical, legal and scientific professions.

In the case of non-compliance with the agency and its staff by a competitor or a national governing body, sanctions, including the withdrawal of grant aid and other support, should be imposed by the Irish Sports Council and the responsible Minister - always taking account of legal considerations.

Dr James McDaid said last night that the findings of the expert group established last May, to examine the problem, would be available shortly and provision had been made in last week's budget, for their implementation.