Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Transport the legislative or other measures he will introduce to ensure that foreign registered vehicles are subject to the same laws, regulations and penalties as Irish registered vehicles and that fines or penalties accrued by a driver of a foreign registered vehicle are realised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24257/07]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Transport the steps he will take to attach penalty points to persons holding a licence other than an Irish driving licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23643/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 90 together.

All drivers are subject to road traffic law and it is a matter for An Garda Síochána to enforce the law. Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 477 of 2006) the Road Safety Authority has responsibility for ensuring that penalty points are endorsed on a licence record. Data in relation to penalty points is held on the National Driver File. As foreign licence holders do not have an Irish driving licence record, penalty points incurred in this State are recorded against that person on a separate record in the National Driver File. The realisation of fines and penalties imposed by the Courts is a matter for the Courts Service.

I am conscious that enforcing penalties for road traffic offences on foreign registered drivers raises many legal, organisational and procedural issues, which make it very difficult for any one State to enforce such penalties. For that reason, my Department is pursuing this question at the European, British/Irish and North/South levels where mutual recognition and cross border enforcement possibilities are under consideration.