Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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793. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 795 of 8 July 2014, if he will provide further details of all of the information maintained by the National Vehicle and Driver File on driver licensing, penalty points and motor taxation; and the way the level of information maintained by the NVDF compares with similar structures or databases in place in other jurisdictions. [31509/14]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF)  databases which have  a legal basis in Section 60 of the Finance Act 1993 constitute the national driver and vehicle registers. The NVDF vehicle  database contains details in respect of the registered vehicles (2.5 million currently taxed) in the country and has information on the registered owners, the motor tax status and descriptions of individual vehicles themselves. There is also information with regard to the current status of vehicles including off the road, stolen, insurance write off and scrapped/end-of-life.  

There are 2.65 million drivers with licences/learner permits in the country and the NVDF database contains personal data including name and address, date of birth and PPSN particulars. There is also information on driving licence period(s) and category entitlements as well as details of any current penalty points applied and driving disqualification data where relevant.

Timeliness and accuracy of NVDF data is assisted through facilities such as online motor tax service and the service which enables approved motor dealers notify the NVDF system about the purchase and sale of vehicles.

The NVDF are centralized national registers and the system has similarities with the registers in other jurisdictions including the UK databases at the DVLA in Swansea. However the systems in other jurisdictions reflect the specific legal and administrative structures relating to the registration and taxation of motor vehicles and the licensing of drivers in those countries.  As indicated in reply to to Parliamentary Question No. 795 of 8 July 2014, the Criminal Justice Working Group will take account of the systems in other jurisdictions in furthering the objective of having the most up-to-date vehicle and driver information.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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794. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 795 of 8 July 2014, if he will report on the level of interaction between members of An Garda Síochána and the National Vehicle and Driver File; the nature of information sharing that takes place regarding information held by the NVDF and the agencies that are entitled to access this information; and if he is examining a method of ensuring that members of An Garda Síochána will have direct access to information held on the NVDF via an electronic roadside system in line with a similar proposal having been made regarding same in the report of the Garda Inspectorate entitled The Fixed Charge Processing System: A 21st Century Strategy, including in recommendation 4.6 of that report. [31510/14]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The provisions of Section 60 of the Finance Act 1993 include An Garda Siochana among the bodies who may access the records on the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF). NVDF data is supplied to An Garda Siochana bi-weekly and this information is integrated with Garda systems. The Criminal Justice Working Group established to oversee and facilitate the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate into the Fixed Charge Processing System will examine the feasibility of implementing recommendations including recommendation 4.6 in the Report. With regard to the NVDF my Department is committed to ensuring that the system is best placed to support all arrangements arising from the recommendations contained in the Report.

The Schedule contained in the Finance Act 1993 (Section 60) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 414 of 2013) lists the persons or category of person who may access the records in the NVDF and the purpose for access.