Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Finance the penalty for people having number plates on vehicles that are not up to standard or unclear; the number of people who have been summonsed for such an offence in each county to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46916/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that Section 131(6)(a) of the Finance Act 1992 provides that the identifying mark (i.e. the registration number) assigned to a vehicle, once registered in the State, must be displayed in the format prescribed by the Revenue Commissioners.

Under section 139 of the Finance Act 1992 (as amended), the display of an identification mark (number plate) in contravention of section 131(6)(a) carries a penalty of €5,000 on summary conviction.

The Deputy may wish to note that Revenue enforcement officials, who are based at numerous locations around the country, carry out regular and on-going checks to identify breaches of VRT legislation. Instances of non-compliance with registration plate regulations are initially dealt with by means of verbal or written warnings and subsequently followed up by officials to confirm that the position has been regularised.

In the course of such checks, sixty-nine formal warnings issued for non-compliance with VRT number plate regulations in 2008. Follow-up assurance checks have confirmed compliance with the regulations, following the issue of warnings. Accordingly, no summonses were issued to date in 2008 for contravention of the VRT number plate regulations.

The Deputy will be aware that An Garda Síochána also has a role to play in policing number plate legislation.