Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of the startling figures recently announced by the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland that 8.3% of motorists are driving around without insurance, which is almost unbelievable. This is a whopping figure of 187,803 and an increase of 32,000 since 2020.

While there are strict penalties and sanctions for people who are apprehended without insurance, unfortunately, detection is the issue. Gardaí are not in a position, unless they encounter someone without insurance at a checkpoint, to get a handle on all of those 187,000 motorists. They are bound to be able to evade detection.

The article by the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland stated that the solution to the problem would be an automatic number plate recognition system. The Garda is installing such a system at the moment through its vehicle-based systems and indeed hand held systems. For that to work fully it needs to be linked up with the motor insurance database. This database has not yet been fully adopted. Legislation is required before the two elements can be synched and before the insurance database can be produced.

Unfortunately, the article by the Motor Insurance Bureau states that the database is held up awaiting the legislation which is crawling through the Houses. I would ask the Leader to try to expedite this legislation. Hopefully it will come before the Houses and I will be happy to debate the issue then. If it is not going to be coming through the Houses in the near future I will also be requesting that we would have a debate on this issue.