Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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661. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of fixed charge penalty notices issued to drivers by An Garda Síochána in the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 for the offence of driving while using a mobile telephone; the number of these drivers who did not pay the mandatory penalty fixed under the notice within 56 days and were summoned to court; the number of drivers who appeared in court for failure to pay the notice; and the number of these defendants who received a conviction. [34293/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the number of fixed charge penalty notices issued to drivers by An Garda Síochána in the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 for the offence of driving while using a mobile phone; the number of these drivers who did not pay the mandatory penalty fixed under the notice within 56 days and were summoned to court. I will contact the Deputy directly as soon as the report is to hand.

The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service and I have no role in the matter. Section 4(3) of the 1998 Act provides that the Courts Service is independent in the performance of its functions, which includes the provision of information on the courts system.

However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the table provides details of the number of drivers before the court for driving while using a mobile phone in each of the time periods requested and the number of drivers convicted of the offence in the same period.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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662. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of drivers summoned to court to date for the offence of accessing data on a mobile telephone while driving or texting while driving; the number of drivers convicted of this offence in this period; if she will provide a breakdown of the nature of the penalties imposed on drivers who were convicted of the offence. [34294/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service and I have no role in the matter. Section 4(3) of the 1998 Act provides that the Courts Service is independent in the performance of its functions, which includes the provision of information on the courts system.

The Road Traffic Act 2006 (Restriction on use of Mobile Phones) Regulations 2014, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, came into effect on 1 May 2014. The Courts Service has indicated that it is currently not in a position to report on convictions for the offences created under the Regulations, however, in view of the fact that the Regulations only came into effect on 1 May 2014 it considers that it is unlikely that any prosecutions have yet come for hearing before the courts.