Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 15, to delete lines 20 to 28 and substitute the following:

"(10) In a prosecution for a fixed charge offence, the relevant notice under this section shall be addressed to that person and shall be given to the person in one of the following ways——

(a) by delivering it to the person,

(b) by leaving it at the address at which the person ordinarily resides or carries on business,

(c) by sending it by post in a pre-paid registered letter addressed to the person at the address at which the person ordinarily resides or carries on business.".

This amendment relates to the delivery of penalty points. Currently, they are posted out to the person who then pays the fine and sends in his or her licence for the attachment of the points. The Government is proposing to contract out the issuing of penalty points and collection of fines.

This is a two-pronged amendment. In order to contract out the work without ambiguity, we cannot continue with the current situation whereby notification is posted in the normal manner. It must be sent by registered post. The company that wins the contract must guarantee a system to deliver summons and fines. We would not want the situation we had with clamping, whereby more cars clamped meant more money for the company that won the contract. Safeguards must be put in place to ensure this does not happen with regard to a contract for the delivery of summons and fines relating to penalty points.