Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That issue is being examined very carefully. I have been informed that An Garda Síochána commenced a pilot project involving a number of people who had been brought before the courts. A judgment was given which I understand the Garda is appealing. There is a project under way to co-ordinate the work being done under the driver licensing system. A very strong initiative is being taken to ensure data can be exchanged between the Courts Service and the driver licensing system, but it will take a period of time to complete it. I know that the original estimate was three years, but that figure has been brought down substantially. Both the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and I are members of a joint committee with representatives of the Road Safety Authority and others which is looking at this issue which we are very keen to progress. There is also a criminal justice interoperability project as part of which the integration of District Court offences between the Garda and the Courts Service is being looked at, but no one system will deal with all of the issues. There are various projects on which progress is being made.