asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in view of breaches of parking regulations by motor cars of diplomatic personnel whether he has made or will make representations to the Diplomatic Corps requesting them to respect the laws of their host country; having regard to the high incidence of traffic laws being ignored throughout the world by diplomatic personnel if he will raise the subject at appropriate international levels with a view to obtaining international agreement on the exclusion of traffic offences from international immunity; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Diplomatic Corps Parking Offences.
72.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which Ireland is a party, diplomatic agents in Ireland enjoy immunity from the criminal, civil and administrative jurisdiction of the State. This immunity includes immunity from jurisdiction in relation to parking offences. The same immunities are enjoyed by members of the families of diplomatic agents, and, except in the case of acts performed outside the course of their official duties, similar immunities are enjoyed by the administrative and technical staffs of diplomatic missions.
At the same time, the Vienna Convention provides that it is the duty of all persons enjoying such immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State, and I am quite satisfied that foreign diplomats resident in Dublin give due regard to this provision. This is borne out by the fact that, to take last year as an example, the 358 diplomatic agents in Dublin, their families and staffs, claimed immunity in respect of only 141 alleged parking offences.
In these circumstances, I have not taken, nor do I propose to take, the action suggested by the Deputy either in relation to the Diplomatic Corps in Dublin or on the international level.