Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will consider increasing the fine of €19 to €100 for persons parking in reserved disabled drivers slots which is an ongoing problem throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21676/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Where a person is convicted by a court of the commission of the offence of parking illegally in a disabled person's parking bay, he or she is liable to a fine not exceeding €800 for a first offence. The maximum fine for a second or subsequent offence is €1,500 and in the case of a third or subsequent offence committed within a 12 month period €1,500 and-or a prison sentence of up to three months.

Those levels of maximum fines were established in the Road Traffic Act 2002 and represent very significant increases over the maximum fines that could be applied to that offence under previous legislation, which were €190, £150, in respect of a first offence and €440, £350, in respect of a second or subsequent offence.

This offence currently comes within the scope of the on the spot fines system and, in association with the majority of other parking offences, it attracts an on the spot fine of €19.

The Road Traffic Act 2002 provides for the replacement of the on the spot fine system with the new fixed charge system. That system currently applies to the offences of exceeding a speed limit and non-compliance with seat belt regulations. Regulations to provide for the roll-out of that system to a significant number of additional traffic and parking offences are currently being prepared by my Department in consultation with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Garda Síochána. This extension of the operation of the fixed charge system will include its application to the offence of illegally parking in disabled person's parking bays. The level of the charge for that offence will be pitched at a level significantly higher than that which will apply to other parking offences.

The operation of the fixed charge system is dependent on the development of a new computerised processing system for the Garda. I understand that it is expected that the new system will be available later this year.