Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Transport the position with regard to plans to change legislation to provide for the use of speed cameras to detect motor insurance and tax offences; if he has had any further discussions with the Data Protection Commissioner on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21250/05]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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There are no immediate plans to provide for the use of speed cameras to detect motor insurance related offences. The Road Traffic Acts provide that evidence produced by electronic or other apparatus, including a camera, can be tendered in court as a prima facie proof of specified offences. Offences related to motor insurance and motor tax are not specified in the legislation.

I have not had any discussions with the Data Protection Commissioner on this matter. However, I understand that the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has been considering the use of cameras in respect of the detection of motor tax offences.

While I have an open mind regarding the application of a camera system for the detection and enforcement of motor insurance offences, such an approach presents a number of technical problems concerned with establishing prima facie that an insurance-related offence was committed. These would have to be resolved before a camera-based approach to the detection of the offences in question could become operational.

My Department is currently in consultation with the Irish motor insurance industry and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government about the development of a single real-time motor insurance related database for all registered vehicles. Such a database would streamline compliance with certain provisions of the fourth motor insurance directive of the EU but would also have the potential for significantly improved motor insurance compliance rates.

Furthermore, developments are taking place at EU level on an electronic vehicle identification, EVI, scheme. These developments also have the potential for more effective enforcement of road traffic law including motor insurance requirements.