Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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127. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 104 of 27 May 2015 regarding Parliamentary Questions Nos. 273 and 275 of 30 September 2014, 350 of 10 February 2015 and 108 of 20 February 2015, outlining the statistics on non-surrender of driver licences by disqualified drivers, which showed that 1,286 drivers were prosecuted in 2013 for driving while disqualified, 1,373 prosecutions were initiated in 2014, 20,315 drivers were prosecuted in 2013 for driving without a licence, and 19,968 drivers were prosecuted in 2014; the penalties these prosecuted drivers received in court if convicted of these offences; if she has this information to hand; if it will be made available to this Deputy prior to the Summer recess; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27878/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Courts Service that the information sought by the Deputy is not available in the format requested.

However, in order to be of assistance, the following tables provide data on the number of defendants who had cases listed in court for the offences referred to by the Deputy, where the particular offences were disposed of in Court in 2013 and 2014. As this is a report of outcomes, a defendant could be disqualified, fined and imprisoned on one offence and they will appear below 3 times.

Table A - Driving while Disqualified

Number of Defendants - Driving while Disqualified

Table B - Driving without a Licence

Number of Defendants - Driving without a Licence

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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128. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 398 of 21 April 2015 regarding the provision, in tabular form, of the number of persons convicted in court of road traffic offences in 2013 and 2014 and to date in 2015, with a breakdown based on each District Court, of those convicted, the number who produced their licence in court; and the number of driving licence numbers which were then forwarded by the Courts Service, with a breakdown based on each District Court, to the National Driver Licence Service and / or to the National Vehicle and Driver File for the application of penalty points, if she has this information to hand; if it will be made available to this Deputy prior to the Summer recess; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27879/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, 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 information requested is provided in the following tables. I am informed that where a person is convicted and disqualified for an offence, details of the disqualification imposed including the driver licence number, where recorded, are sent to the National Driver Licence Service. Where the person is convicted of a penalty point offence, details of the conviction imposed including a driver licence number, where recorded, are sent to the National Vehicle and Driver File for the application of penalty points as appropriate. However, where a person is convicted of a penalty point offence and is disqualified from driving, details of the conviction are not sent to the National Vehicle and Driver File but rather are notified to the National Driver Licence Service.

It is an offence under the Road Traffic Act to fail to provide your licence details and, as I have recently advised the Deputy, an arrangement has been put in place between An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service to facilitate the bringing of prosecutions for the non-production of a driver licence in these circumstances. An Garda Síochána will shortly commence prosecutions at multiple locations nationwide, targeting persons not presenting their licences in Court.

I expect this will send a strong message that it is essential that our Road Traffic laws are respected and that there are consequences for the minority of persons who seek to evade them. Ultimately enforcement and prosecution of offences in this area is about improving public safety and reducing deaths on our roads, and there must be no way out for anybody seeking to avoid receiving penalty points.

I can further advise the Deputy that my Department is in ongoing and intensive contact with the other relevant agencies with a view to ensuring that the most effective system to associate penalty points with driver licences is in place. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I have recently received an update from the Criminal Justice (Fixed Charge Processing System) Working Group on this matter and we have asked that further urgent consideration be given to this specific issue with a view to more detailed analysis being submitted later this year. In addition to assessing the impact of the prosecutions referred to above, this analysis will consider other means of addressing this issue, including an examination of the feasibility and means of introducing a mandatory association between driver licence details and vehicle registrations.

No. of persons convicted in Court of Road Traffic Offences in 2014

No. of persons convicted in Court of Road Traffic Offences Jan – May 2015

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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129. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 385 and 386 of 31 March 2015 regarding the provision, in tabular form, of the number of prosecutions of drivers for driving with no licence in the years 2012 to 2014 and to date in 2015 and the provision, in tabular form, of the number of prosecutions of drivers for driving with expired licences in the years 2012 to 2014 and to date in 2015, if she has this information to hand, and if it will be made available to this Deputy prior to the Summer recess. [27880/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I have been informed by the Courts Service that while separate records are not held for the offence of driving with an expired licence, such instances would be recorded under the offence of driving without a licence.

The following table details prosecutions brought for driving without a licence for the years 2012 - 2014 and to 30 June, 2015. It should be noted that the figures are based on those offences listed for a court date in each of the years.

Number of Prosecutions of Drivers for Driving with no Licence