Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The penalty points system currently applies in respect of the offences of breaching a speed limit, motor insurance and the failure of a driver to wear a seat belt or to ensure that a passenger under 17 years of age is appropriately restrained in a mechanically propelled vehicle. The system was first introduced in October 2002 in respect of speed limit offences. In the intervening period some 144,000 drivers have had penalty points endorsed in their licence records. I intend to extend the system to cover the offence of careless driving with effect from 1 June next. The effectiveness of the penalty points system can be judged primarily on the basis of the contribution it has made to road safety since its introduction. In the seventeen months since October 2002 the number of deaths as a result of road collisions has fallen by 100 by comparison to the previous seventeen month period.

The House will be aware that the IT systems needed to support the full roll out of penalty points to the range of offences listed in the Road Traffic Act 2002 are not yet in place. I am assured by my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that the systems in question will be operational by the end of this year. While the national driver file, in which all penalty point endorsements are recorded is fully operational, in the absence of the other IT systems, the process of submitting data relating to the payment of fixed charges or convictions due to penalty point offences is being pursued on a manual basis by the Garda Síochána and the Courts Service. As soon as my Department is notified that a fixed charge has been paid or that a court conviction has been secured in respect of a penalty point offence this information is processed and the notice is issued to the person concerned on behalf of my Department by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which administers the national driver file. Penalty points only apply 28 days after the date of that notice. This process is normally carried out in about two weeks, following the receipt of notification by the Garda authorities or the Courts Services.

In overall terms the introduction of penalty points has had a very positive effect on road safety and I am confident the full roll out of the system will further enhance that effect. That the system was launched in advance of the availability of the full IT backup services has contributed directly to saving lives. However, I understand there have been administrative difficulties associated with the periods between the payment to the gardaí of fixed charges and the subsequent notifications to my Department for the purpose of recording penalty points. I understand the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has addressed that matter in previous replies to the House.

See this speech in context