Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will address concerns that the penalty points system is not being implemented in an effective manner. [12557/04]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The penalty points system currently applies in respect of the offences of breaching a speed limit, motor insurance and the failure of a driver to wear a seat belt or to ensure that a passenger under 17 years of age is appropriately restrained in a mechanically propelled vehicle. The system was first introduced in October 2002 in respect of speed limit offences. In the intervening period some 144,000 drivers have had penalty points endorsed in their licence records. I intend to extend the system to cover the offence of careless driving with effect from 1 June next. The effectiveness of the penalty points system can be judged primarily on the basis of the contribution it has made to road safety since its introduction. In the seventeen months since October 2002 the number of deaths as a result of road collisions has fallen by 100 by comparison to the previous seventeen month period.

The House will be aware that the IT systems needed to support the full roll out of penalty points to the range of offences listed in the Road Traffic Act 2002 are not yet in place. I am assured by my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that the systems in question will be operational by the end of this year. While the national driver file, in which all penalty point endorsements are recorded is fully operational, in the absence of the other IT systems, the process of submitting data relating to the payment of fixed charges or convictions due to penalty point offences is being pursued on a manual basis by the Garda Síochána and the Courts Service. As soon as my Department is notified that a fixed charge has been paid or that a court conviction has been secured in respect of a penalty point offence this information is processed and the notice is issued to the person concerned on behalf of my Department by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which administers the national driver file. Penalty points only apply 28 days after the date of that notice. This process is normally carried out in about two weeks, following the receipt of notification by the Garda authorities or the Courts Services.

In overall terms the introduction of penalty points has had a very positive effect on road safety and I am confident the full roll out of the system will further enhance that effect. That the system was launched in advance of the availability of the full IT backup services has contributed directly to saving lives. However, I understand there have been administrative difficulties associated with the periods between the payment to the gardaí of fixed charges and the subsequent notifications to my Department for the purpose of recording penalty points. I understand the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has addressed that matter in previous replies to the House.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the fact that there have been 100 fewer deaths on the roads. Many people are concerned that the points system is not effective. More and more people are getting points, but many Garda checkpoints are in areas where there is no danger. These checkpoints are on long stretches of roads, on motorways and so on. Has the Minister spoken to the Commissioner on the proportion of these checkpoints on these roads?

We all know of areas — the Minister has some in his constituency, as I do in mine — where Garda patrols hide behind bus shelters, such as at the Spawell, to catch motorists coming off the motorway, which is subject to a higher speed limit. It is madness and a waste of resources when one considers the speeding cars in housing estates, etc. It seems that the system is not being implemented at accident blackspots on dangerous bends and at other dangerous places and this is why the penalty points system is losing credibility.

Will the Minister call on the Garda Commissioner to review his deployment of Garda staff to make the system more effective? The system is concerned with road safety, as the Minister said. Should the penalty points system run in tandem with a broad strategy for road safety, such as good education and training programmes? Many believe the penalty points system is geared more towards generating revenue because of the manner in which points are being allocated for speeding cars. What discussions has the Minister had with the Garda Commissioner on this matter?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has discussed the strategy of tackling speeding with the Garda Commissioner on many occasions. The question of when and where the Garda does its speed checks is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner but he knows my views, which are not too dissimilar to those of the Deputy. To be truly effective, the Garda must start targeting the places where accidents are likely to happen. Increasingly, one will see that the force will do this, especially as we roll out the speed cameras. This will help substantially.

The speed limits are being reviewed and it is intended that they will be delineated in metric units towards the end of the year. The Deputy will be aware that the working group has recommended and the Government has agreed with its proposal that the 60 mph speed limit be reduced to 50 mph on what are normally called country roads or back roads. Most accidents seem to take place on such roads. This reduction in the speed limit, combined with the assurance from the Garda that it will increasingly target these roads, will help considerably.

The penalty points system was introduced at the end of 2002 and we had the lowest number of road deaths in 40 years in 2003. This year's figure is being judged against this remarkable performance, which was quite different to that which obtained previously. The number of deaths is still below those for 1999, 2001 and 2002. If the penalty points system prevents only one death, it is worth it. However, it is not just a question of measurement in that narrow sense but also about changing driver behaviour. The penalty points system will increasingly change driver behaviour, particularly when the computer system is fully introduced because, if one is put off the road and attempts to drive within those six months, one could receive a prison sentence. This will be a really strong incentive not to receive penalty points.