Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

The problem is that nobody has agreed to fund the database. The Garda faces a major difficulty in dealing with road traffic offences, particularly those involving injury and loss of life, because it has no way of discovering information on whether a particular driver is insured. There is no national database accessible to the Garda. That information should be available on the hand-held computers of gardaí. This lack of access to adequate information is part of the reason it is so difficult to enforce road traffic legislation.

The Minister is ultimately responsible in this regard. My understanding is that a turf war is ongoing between the relevant Departments and the insurance companies in regard to who will pay for this service. It is the Minister's responsibility to cut through that and to ensure we comply with the directive and, more important, that access to vital information in respect of motor insurance is available to the Garda in processing cases. Does he intend to take action in this regard by living up to his responsibilities to put a database in place as promised and required under the directive and, if so, when does he propose to do so?

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