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

The figures are pretty shocking. The Minister quoted the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulation 2006, which is SI 537 of 2006. It is quite clear what the penalties are. When I asked the Courts Service the number of disqualified drivers who were taken to court for not surrendering their licences during 2018, given that it is a criminal offence, I was informed that just eight were taken to court. I then asked about the sanctions handed down and was told most people were summonsed but no convictions are recorded of those eight. It is something that the Minister's Department, the Department of Justice and Equality the Courts Service do not seem to take seriously enough. We constantly hear these promises of action and that it will be clarified, the Commissioner reporting to the Committee on Public Accounts and to the Policing Authority. We are still waiting and there can be no argument that the number of those failing to comply with the surrender of licences is shocking. The Ministers for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Justice and Equality urgently need to address this issue.

See this speech in context