Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 380: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of people who have so far incurred the maximum number of penalty points; if such people have had to take a new driving test or have had their licence suspended or endorsed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9446/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with the provisions of section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 2002, penalty points are endorsed on the entry in the licence record relating to the person and not on the driving licence. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, on receipt of notifications from the Garda Síochána or the Courts Service that a fixed charge has been paid, or a person has been convicted of a penalty point offence, endorses the licence record in the national driver file with the appropriate number of penalty points and issues a notification to the person concerned.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has advised that at 17 February 2006, 21 licence holders had accumulated 12 points, 16 of whom were disqualified at that date and five of whom have been notified that they will be disqualified with effect from 28 days after the date of the notice that they had accumulated 12 points. In addition there are 28 drivers whose disqualification period of six months has expired and who are no longer disqualified.

Any driver who accumulates 12 points is disqualified for a period of six months under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 2002 and is directed, under section 5 of that Act to surrender his or her licence to the licensing authority that granted the licence. It is not necessary to resit the driving test in these circumstances.