Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

We have instead given a contract to An Post, which will begin to operate a centre in every Garda division. By the end of the roll-out, it will be possible to pay for penalty points in every post office. Fixed penalty points will be recorded on a person's licence and, in the event of the fine being unpaid by the end of the relevant period, warning notices will be automatically sent out, followed by court documentation, with a court date selected as part of a simple process. That took more time than I was happy with but the system is now in place and the 31 additional offences will become live on 31 April.

Gardaí will be supplied with a hand-held computer the size of an old mobile telephone, on which they will be able to record and electronically download details to the system so that there will no longer be a need to process as many forms or for people to carry pencils behind their ears. It will be an entirely automatic process.

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