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

The list of policing priorities for 2019, which Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has reported to the Oireachtas, is very interesting and includes policing our roads, safeguarding road users, denying criminals the use of roads and spot checks on roads. These are very important as they help to identify disqualified drivers and alert us to criminal behaviour. The head of the RSA, Ms Moyagh Murdock, addressed the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport and said the level of compliance was entirely unacceptable and demonstrated a disregard of, and disrespect for, road traffic legislation from those individuals. She drew a contrast with Northern Ireland where, she said, there seemed to be a far less cumbersome system in which a licence was surrendered there and then, in the court. Even when an appeal is possible, the licence is retained by the court. This is another example of where Northern Ireland appears to be ahead of us in policing terms.

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