Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if gardaí at roadside checkpoints have direct access to PULSE and the national driver file and data held by the vehicle registration unit; and, if not, his plans to provide them with such access. [11539/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Gardaí at roadside checkpoints do not have direct access to the PULSE system. However, the Garda information service centre has been established in Castlebar to centralise the inputting of data onto PULSE. A pilot of the centralisation of the input of data was extended to the entire southern region by the end of February 2006.

This means that in the pilot area, gardaí no longer have to return to the station to input incident details but are supplied with mobile phones and are required to phone in details of the incidents they investigate to the Garda information service centre from the site of the incident. This service is available to gardaí in both networked and non-networked stations in the pilot area. Where this pilot is not in operation inquiries can also be made to an operator in a control room who has access to PULSE. I am informed by the Garda authorities that PULSE contains vehicle registration and owner details as provided by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The new ICT strategy for the Garda Síochhána, which is being finalised at present, recommends the use of mobile technology in the field to provide on-line access to PULSE. As part of the fixed charge processing system, hand-held units have been provided for the capture of fixed charge incident data at the roadside. I am informed by the Garda authorities that a proof of concept to allow gardaí to look up the national driver file using this hand-held technology is being developed.