Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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586. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 255 of 2 April 2014, if he will provide a further update on the implementation of recommendation 4.4 of the Garda Inspectorate report entitled The Fixed Charge Processing System: A 21st Century Strategy, regarding the need to commence section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 to put the third payment option in place; and if he will provide an up-to-date timeline for the implementation of this third payment option. [24505/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 deals with the payment of a fixed charge on service of a summons to court.  It is also known as the “3rd payment option” and has not yet been commenced because the administrative structure for dealing with the option is not yet in place.  A sub-group of the Criminal Justice (Fixed Charge Processing System) Working Group is in the process of working through the operation of the proposed third payment option and identifying what changes to existing systems and procedures are necessary.  

I understand that a number of administrative and technical matters will need to be addressed by the Gardaí and Courts Services and a suitable IT solution put in place so that this option can be implemented. There are also substantial capital and running costs involved. It is necessary to analyse the costs associated with this in detail and put together a business case to underpin the funding proposal. It is envisaged that this recommendation will be implemented in the next year.  I look forward to this "3rd payment option" coming into effect during 2015 as its non-implementation has meant that I cannot commence a number of other sections in the 2010 Act as the provisions contained are interrelated.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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587. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the work of the criminal justice working group established to implement the recommendations of the Garda Inspectorate report entitled The Fixed Charge Processing System: A 21st Century Strategy. [24506/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Criminal Justice Working Group was established in March 2014 on foot of a recommendation in the Garda Inspectorate Report on the Fixed Charge Processing System.  The Group is jointly chaired by my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality and comprises representatives of all relevant Departments and agencies. To date, the Group has held six meetings and I understand that very good progress has been made on implementation of the short-term actions set out in the report.   

Part of the terms of reference for the Group is that progress reports will be made to Government on a six monthly basis.  The first progress report is due in July 2014.