It was always recognised that the full roll-out of the penalty points system would depend on the completion of a number of information technology developments. While the national driver file is fully operational, work on the remaining IT networks continues. It is premature to fully assess the effects of the launch of penalty points for speeding offences, however, we have clearly seen the beginning of the development of a more precautionary driver approach and a resultant reduction in the number of detections for speed infractions. There has also been a marked reduction in the number of road deaths over the past three months. Provisional data made available by the Garda indicates that the number of road deaths have fallen from a total of 113 in the period November 2001 to January 2002 to 68 over the most recent period. That is dramatic.