Written answers

Thursday, 17 September 2020

Department of Justice and Equality

Road Traffic Offences

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

164. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of drivers disqualified in court per year in 2018, 2019 and up to 31 July 2020; the value of the fines imposed by the court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24632/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have made enquiries with the Courts Service. 

The number of disqualification orders and the number of persons who were disqualified for 2018, 2019 and January to July 2020 is detailed in table 1 below.  This table reports for any offence where a disqualification order was imposed.

TABLE 1

Year No. of Orders No. of Persons
Jan – Dec 2018 14,155 9,499
Jan – Dec 2019 14,769 9,699
Jan – July 2020 5,563 3,811

In addition,  the number of persons and the number and value of fines imposed by the Court is shown in table 2 below.  It should be noted that a person may have been disqualified but a fine may not have been imposed.

TABLE 2

Year No. of Persons No. of Fines Value of fines
Jan – Dec 2018 7,928 9,950 €3,619,580.07
Jan – Dec 2019 7,857 9,640 €3,474,267.80
Jan – July 2020 2,988 3,607 €1,295,711.31

I am informed by the Courts Service that a project is underway to provide for electronic transfer of disqualification orders to the relevant agency once the time period to lodge an appeal has passed, and no appeal has been lodged.  I am further informed that this project is being progressed under the oversight of the Circuit and District Courts Operations Directorate. 

I understand that this project is being pursued by the Courts Service independently of the work ongoing in An Garda Síochána to progress the mobility project.

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

165. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of drivers detected driving while disqualified per year in 2018, 2019 and up to 31 July 2020; the number per year arrested at the roadside for the offence; the number per year convicted for the offence; the penalties imposed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24633/20]

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

166. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of disqualified drivers detected by county by gardaí using the new Garda mobility device application to date in 2020; the number arrested by county for the offence; the penalties imposed by the court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24634/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 166 together.

I have requested a report from An Garda Síochána about the issues raised by the Deputy in these questions. I will revert to the Deputy when this is to hand.

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

167. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of drivers detected driving without a licence in 2018; 2019 and up to 31 July 2020; the number summoned to court for the offence per year; the penalties imposed per year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24635/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have requested information from An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service on the matter requested by the Deputy and will write directly to the Deputy when it is received.

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

168. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if An Garda Síochána is capturing driver licence numbers at point of detection and recording the driver number on summonses; if the Courts Service is accepting this data and inputting the information on the disqualification orders for recording onto the national vehicle and driver file database; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24637/20]

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

172. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will address the fact that the Courts Service is still using a manual form of sending details of drivers disqualified in court in batches of 1,600 at the end of each month to the RSA for later input onto the national driver file database (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24641/20]

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

173. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on plans by the Courts Service to automate its system of recording drivers disqualified in court and forwarding the data electronically to the national vehicle and driver file; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24642/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 168, 172 and 173 together.

I have requested information from An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service on the matter requested by the Deputy and will write directly to the Deputy when it is received.  

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

169. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of disqualified drivers that were summoned to court in each year for the failure to surrender their licence to the RSA in 2018, 2019 and up to 31 July 2020; the number convicted in each year for the offence; the value of the penalties imposed by the court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24638/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, the management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions.  This includes the provision of information on the courts system.

However, in order to be of assistance, I have made appropriate enquiries and the Courts Service has advised that the following tables contain the information sought by the Deputy:

Jan – Dec 2018

No of Drivers Before the court between 1 Jan – 31st Dec 2018 No of Drivers Convicted The Amount of Fines Imposed Value of Fine
32 14 14 €2,700.00

Jan – Dec 2019

No of Drivers Before the court between 1 Jan -  31st Dec 2019 No of Drivers Convicted The Amount of Fines Imposed Value of Fine
22 9 9 €2,630.00

Jan – July 2020

No of Drivers Before the court between 1 Jan – 31 July 2020 No of Drivers Convicted The Amount of Fines Imposed Value of Fine
8 2 0 -

I am further advised by the Courts Service that they can only provide data where offence codes provided on the system were used by prosecutors.  Prosecutors may have used uncoded free text offences and any such offences would not be included in the data provided above.

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

170. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of learner drivers detected by gardaí driving on motorways in each year since 2014; the number prosecuted for the offence per year; the number convicted in court; the penalties imposed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24639/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have requested information from An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service on the matter requested by the Deputy and will write directly to the Deputy when it is received.  

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

171. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the new Garda mobility device records and stores information on the number of disqualified drivers detected at roadside checks; if An Garda Síochána is keeping records of the number detected driving while disqualified for operational and statistical reasons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24640/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have written to An Garda Síochána requesting a report on the information sought by the Deputy, and will revert when this is to hand.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.