Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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206. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to his correspondence with the Promoting Awareness, Responsibility and Care on our Roads group of 23 February 2015, where the Minister wrote that An Garda Síochána is currently liaising with the Courts Service on bringing persons before the courts following their failure to produce a driving licence or permit and the copy of a licence or permit before the courts, An Garda Síochána has advised that it is currently liaising with the Courts Service to provide it with a representative sample of court orders in relation to cases where a driving licence was not produced and the gardaí will take proceedings, if he will report on the status of this statement; if he will report on whether the Courts Service has since provided gardaí with these samples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20872/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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​There is a legal obligation under section 22 of the Road Traffic Act 2002 for those summoned to court in relation to road traffic offences to produce both a driving licence (or learner permit, as the case may be) and a copy of the same in court.  Failure to produce the licence or permit is an offence.

While my Department is responsible for the legislation in question, the taking of prosecutions for non-production of a licence is a matter for An Garda Síochána.  As indicated in the letter to which the Deputy refers, An Garda Síochána informed me at the time of writing that it was liaising with the Courts Service on the matter with a view to prosecuting individuals for failure to produce a licence or learner permit in Court.

I understand from An Garda Siochána that it is proceeding with a number of cases in this regard.  However, the Deputy may wish to contact my colleague the Minister for Justice for an updated position on this issue.