Written answers

Wednesday, 11 June 2025

Department of Justice and Equality

Departmental Data

Photo of Aidan FarrellyAidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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250. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of vehicles seized and or impounded by Gardai, by county in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025 in respect of learner drivers not being accompanied by a full licence holder, in tabular form. [31291/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Garda authorities have provided me with the below breakdown, by Garda Division, of the number of incidents in which a vehicle was detained in accordance with section 41 of the Road Traffic Act on the grounds that it was being driven by an unaccompanied learner driver.

Division 2023 2024 2025*
Clare/Tipperary 130 124 76
Cork City 231 343 118
Cork County 165 265 126
D.M.R. Eastern 145 186 94
D.M.R. North Central 224 422 213
D.M.R. Northern 676 651 320
D.M.R. South Central 321 510 304
D.M.R. Southern 503 540 271
D.M.R. Western 837 1128 565
Donegal 53 66 32
Galway 106 154 99
Kerry 68 108 42
Kildare/Carlow 449 520 226
Laois/Offaly 125 157 52
Limerick 134 193 60
Louth/Cavan/Monaghan 166 240 98
Mayo/Roscommon/Longford 83 136 80
Meath/Westmeath 164 169 70
Sligo/Leitrim 31 61 44
Waterford/Kilkenny 207 248 140
Wexford/Wicklow 228 262 127
Grand Total 5046 6483 3157
* Figures for 2025 cover the period from 1 January 2025 to 4 June 2025.

All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the PULSE system as was available on 4 June 2025 and is liable to change.

Photo of Aidan FarrellyAidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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251. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of vehicle owners fined for permitting a learner driver use their vehicle on a public road without being accompanied by a full licence holder, by county in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form [31292/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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An Garda Síochána have provided me with the below breakdown of the number of summonses issued for the offence of a vehicle owner allowing a learner driver to drive that vehicle on a public road, from 2023-2025.

2023 2024 2025*
20 24 <10
* Figures for 2025 cover the period from 1 January 2025 to 8 June 2025.

Figures are based on incidents which occurred from 1 January 2023 to 8 June 2025 inclusive. All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the PULSE system as was available on 9 June 2025 and is liable to change.

Figures of less than ten are not included in the report and are denoted as ‘<10’. For this reason, the figures are not broken down by Garda division.

Photo of Aidan FarrellyAidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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252. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of fines issued and penalty points issued to learner drivers that were detected by Gardaí, by county for driving a vehicle without being accompanied by a full licence holder in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [31293/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Road traffic legislation, which is under the remit of the Department of Transport, specifies that an unaccompanied learner driver can receive both a fine and penalty points. This is provided for by section 35A(3) of the Road Traffic Act 2016. The Road Safety Authority outlines that learner permit holders detected driving unaccompanied by a qualified person may receive a Fixed Charge Notice and a fine of €160 along with two penalty points. If determined by a court, four penalty points may be issued.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that below is a breakdown by Garda Division of the number of Fixed Charge Notices issued for unaccompanied learner drivers in 2023 to 2025, to date.

2023 2024 2025*
Clare/Tipperary 359 323 140
Cork City 441 566 160
Cork County 447 525 257
D.M.R. Eastern 166 209 111
D.M.R. North Central 334 556 268
D.M.R. Northern 920 968 426
D.M.R. South Central 365 581 344
D.M.R. Southern 599 630 298
D.M.R. Western 1154 1516 749
Donegal 90 137 51
Galway 339 402 209
Kerry 173 283 111
Kildare/Carlow 588 762 282
Laois/Offaly 418 446 170
Limerick 243 355 96
Louth/Cavan/Monaghan 381 381 138
Mayo/Roscommon/Longford 261 265 144
Meath/Westmeath 373 311 147
Sligo/Leitrim 68 133 67
Waterford/Kilkenny 572 649 282
Wexford/Wicklow 524 581 257
Grand Total 8815 10579 4707
* Figures for 2025 cover the period from 1 January 2025 to 4 June 2025.

All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the Fixed Charge Processing System as was available on 4 June 2025 and is liable to change.

Photo of Aidan FarrellyAidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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253. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of learner drivers that were convicted in a court for driving a vehicle while not being accompanied by a full licence holder. [31294/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.

To be of assistance to the Deputy I have referred this question to the Courts Service for direct reply.

Photo of Aidan FarrellyAidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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254. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he and or his predecessor engaged external assistance and or consultancy in respect of the EU Migration Asylum Pact; if he will provide a schedule of services provided; the costs of same and a schedule of persons and or companies that were engaged and projected future costs in respect of same; and if he will provide the same information in respect of his Department that previously held responsibility in this area. [31295/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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It has not been possible to collate complete information as requested by the Deputy in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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255. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an updated list of all email and phone lines for use of Oireachtas members within his Department, including all subsidiary bodies, in tabular form. [30767/25]

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department operates a dedicated Oireachtas Liaison Unit. The Unit was established in 2016 to assist Oireachtas members with their constituent's individual payment queries, specifically related to schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy.

The Contact details are: e-mail: oireachtas@agriculture.gov.ie, Telephone: 076 -1064460.

State Bodies under the aegis of my Department provide the following email contact details for Oireachtas members:

Name of State Body Oireachtas contact details
Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board Oireachtasqueries@alab.ie
Bord Iascaigh Mhara oireachtas.queries@bim.ie
Marine Institute ? Oireachtas.queries@marine.ie
Sea Fisheries Protection Authority oireachtasqueries@sfpa.ie
Greyhound Racing Ireland (Rásaíocht Con Éireann ) oireachtasqueries@grireland.ie
Horse Racing Ireland oireachtas@horseracingireland.ie
Irish National Stud Oireachtas@irishnationalstud.ie
Bord Bia Oireachtas@Bordbia.ie
Coillte Oireachtas@coillte.ie
National Milk Agency oireachtas@natmilk.ie
Teagasc Oireachtas@Teagasc.ie
Veterinary Council of Ireland Oireachtasqueries@vci.ie
An Rialálaí Agraibhia (The Agri-Food Regulator) oireachtas@agrifoodregulator.ie

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