Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Of course. I am proposing a number of technical amendments here to Part 3 of the Road Traffic Act 2010.

Part 3 of the 2010 Act replaces the existing legislation for fixed charge offences and in particular provides for the so-called "third payment option", with which everybody is familiar. At present, motorists who receive a fixed charge notice have 28 days in which to pay the charge and if they do not, a further 28 days in which to pay the charge plus 50%. If they have not paid at that point, court proceedings would be initiated. The third payment option adds to this system a notice issued with the summons to court allowing the person to pay the original charge plus 100% not later than seven days before the due date of court proceedings. If they do so the court proceedings are discontinued. The operation of the third payment option will reduce the burden on courts and will also end the practice of motorists going to court and claiming that they never received a fixed charge notice.

For the new system to be brought into effect, we need to make a number of changes to the 2010 Act. First, we have to ensure that the first fixed charge notice sets out in its entirety the procedure concerned up to and including the third payment option. Currently, the legislation does not provide for this. Second, we need to make changes to account for a clarification in policy to state that the Garda Síochána, and not the Court Service, will be issuing the summon.