Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

He gave wrong information to Dáil Éireann on this very serious matter in relation to drink driving. Today, The Irish Timescovered another shocking story and reported that between January 2013 and March 2015 521 drivers were already disqualified at the time of conviction for involvement in a collision causing serious injury or death. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, could not tell us how many of these drivers were actually disqualified when these serious crashes took place. Figures released to me by the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, show that 17,481 drivers were disqualified for road traffic offences in the same timeframe. However, on 9 April this year, the RSA reported to me that it had informed the Garda of just 48 disqualifications. These are also very serious figures.

We have heard from sources in the Courts Service that it considers that there is no requirement in law to record the licence when a driver is disqualified in court. While the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, has been thrown in at the deep end by the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, I ask him to confirm if it is the case that there is no requirement in legislation for the Courts Service to record the licence of a disqualified driver. That will be a key aspect of the Minister of State's reply.

A key aspect of this issue is the cut in personnel and resources of An Garda Síochána carried out by this and the previous Government in the austerity years since the great recession. There has especially been a cut in the traffic corps. The figures released also put the spotlight on the Courts Service, the performance of some district judges and the seemingly Flann O'Brien or Kafkaesque atmosphere of some District Courts. It is time for accountability and for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come to the House to clarify two important points of law which I put to him this afternoon. I put them to the Minister of State now albeit I know he is not briefed to reply. I ask that the Minister, Deputy Donoghoe, come in at the earliest opportunity. The Acting Chairman was making these very points today and is the very man to ask the Minister to come to the House and correct the record.

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