Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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40. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cases before each court on speeding offences in 2015 and to date in 2016; the number of convictions of this offence; the number of cases dismissed and struck out; the number of licences recorded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34404/16]

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. 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, to be of assistance I have made inquires with the Courts Service and they have provided the figures requested by the Deputy which I am including by way of a tabular statement. It should be noted that where a summons is struck out not served, the summons can be reissued at the request of An Garda Síochána, so a number of the offences listed as struck out for non-service are likely to have been reissued.

The figures provided by the Courts Service indicate that a significant percentage of cases are struck out for non-service. My officials are seeking clarification from the Courts Service and An Garda Síochána as to the reason for this figure being at this level. It should however be noted in this respect that a working group was established by An Garda Síochána to examine how the rate of summons serving can be improved and to regularly monitor the level of summons service throughout the country. While this group has reported improvements in the rate of successful service of summons, challenges remain in relation to effecting service of summons in certain circumstances, relating to such matters as inaccurate address data, persons moving address, or living in multi-occupancy dwellings or other settings which make service difficult. In addition, certain persons will take steps to evade service. Similar difficulties are experienced by many other police forces.

I would like thank the Deputy for raising the serious issue of speeding on our roads. The increase in the number of road traffic fatalities in the year to date highlights the need to continue to deploy all effective measures to reduce speeding, and therefore road traffic collisions.

The Deputy will appreciate that road traffic enforcement is an operational matter and, as such, is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner. I am advised that An Garda Síochána's Roads Policing Operations Plan 2016 incorporates a programme of high visibility road safety and enforcement operations, carried out in partnership with other state agencies. The focus of the Roads Policing Operations Plan for 2016 is on the most vulnerable road user categories of motor cyclists, pedal cyclists, pedestrians and learner permit holders. Garda operations specifically target road use behaviour known to contribute significantly to collisions, including speeding. Road traffic legislation is also enforced as part of the day to day duties of members of An Garda Síochána. Both targeted and general methods of enforcement have a valuable role to play in An Garda Síochána's enforcement programme, which targets locations with a view to preventing the commission of offences, detecting errant motorists, changing their behaviour and ultimately reducing death and injuries on our roads.

An Garda Síochána’s Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016-2021 also sets out key strategic objectives for Roads Policing which will inform and guide An Garda Síochána’s Road Policing plans over the next 5 years. The Deputy is no doubt aware of the significant investment in Garda resources currently underway. This investment is closely associated with delivery on the Modernisation and Renewal Programme.

In addition, I will be meeting the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport later this month at the biannual Ministerial Committee on Road Safety, which oversees the implementation of the Road Safety Strategy and provides a forum for high-level discussion of road safety issues.

In so far as the recording of driver licences is concerned, the Courts Service has taken the following steps:

- All summonses issued in respect of alleged offences under the Road Traffic Acts include a specific provision that notifies the person accused of the offence that he/she must bring to the court their driving licence/driving permit and a legible copy of their driving licence or learner permit;

- Court Registrars, following consultation with the presiding Judge, make an announcement in the court to the effect that as required by the summons, persons must produce their driving licence/permit and a copy thereof to the Registrar once their case is called;

- Where a driving licence/learner permit or copy thereof is produced and the accused is convicted of the offence, the Registrar records the driving licence number for the purpose of subsequently transferring the driving licence number to the Department of Transport for the application of penalty points;

- Where a driving licence/learner permit or copy thereof is not produced, the Registrar records this fact on the summons/minute book.

Road safety is of course a shared responsibility and it is incumbent upon us all to play our part by driving within the speed limit.

Table 1 - Report on the Number of Speeding Offences listed for Court between 1 Jan 2015 and 31 December 2015 and related outcomes.

Column A - Displays the number of offences listed

Column B - Displays the number of convictions

Column C - Displays the number of Licences Numbers Recorded

Column D - Number of non convictions

Column E - Total Convictions & Non-Convictions

Column F - Total not finalised Adjourned, Bench Warrants, Appealed, Setasides

Column G - Total Column E (Total convictions & Non convictions) & Column F (Not Finalised, Adjourned, Bench Wts, Appealed, setasides)