Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Transport if it is proposed to introduce penalty points for parking offences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3237/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 338: To ask the Minister for Transport if traffic wardens are under the control of the gardaí or local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3238/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 339: To ask the Minister for Transport if there are restrictions on the number of traffic wardens that may be employed by a local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3239/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 340: To ask the Minister for Transport if consideration has been given to outsourcing the functions of a traffic warden; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3241/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 to 340, inclusive, together.

The road traffic offences that are scheduled as penalty point offences focus on driving behaviour that adversely impacts on road safety. The only parking offence that is scheduled as a penalty point offence is the offence of parking a vehicle in a dangerous position and this serious offence incurs 5 penalty points on conviction in court. It is not proposed at present to extend the penalty point system to offences that involve the illegal parking of vehicles.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has power under section 103 (19) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended by the Road Traffic Act 2002 to authorise persons to perform the functions of traffic wardens. Persons authorised under section 103 are under the control of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and operate out of Garda stations.

Local authorities have power to employ traffic wardens under the Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act 1975. Persons engaged under that Act operate under the control of the relevant local authority.

The 1975 Act does not impose any limit on the number of traffic wardens that may be employed by a local authority. The post of traffic warden is, as is the case with any other local authority post, subject at any given time to the prevailing policy as regards overall staffing numbers and recruitment in the local authority public sector.

Some local authorities avail of the present enabling powers that are in place, since 1987, under section 101B of the 1961 Act to engage authorised persons to enforce parking law on public roads in their area through the clamping of illegally parked vehicles.

Local authorities have not made any request to my Department to be enabled to outsource traffic warden functions so there is no indication that there is any demand for a revision of the law in that direction.