Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 342: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason penalty points were only applied to a person (details supplied) on 9 February 2004 when the offence was committed on 17 September 2003 and the appropriate fine was paid in October 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15314/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for the Garda Síochána and as such I have no role in it. However, I have made inquiries and I am informed by the Garda authorities that the payment of the fixed charge notice by cheque was received on 21 November, 2003. The Garda fixed penalty office retained the cheque for 14 days to allow payment to clear. I understand that once the cheque cleared, the Garda authorities transmitted the records on to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government which in turn duly informed the driver that the penalty points would be notified to his licence for a three year period with effect from four weeks from the date that the notification issued as required by sections 5 and 7 of the Road Traffic Act 2002.

The Deputy will appreciate that the penalty points system is currently operating on a semi-manual basis. This will be rectified later this year when the fixed charge processing system becomes operational.