asked the Minister for Justice the total amount paid by his Department in the latest year for which figures are available, in respect of motor accidents involving vehicles from his Department; the number of accidents involved; and the percentage of the total fleet which they represent.
Written Answers . - Motor Accident Payments .
915.
, Limerick East): There was no expenditure of this kind from State funds during 1982 in respect of official vehicles under the aegis of my Department as distinct from the Garda Síochána.
As regards the Garda Síochána, the only expenditure figure immediately available is one that covers, as well as accident costs, the cost of repairs and other expenditure arising from malicious damage (including ramming incidents) to Garda vehicles. There were 146 such malicious damage cases during 1982.
The total amount charged to the Garda Síochána Vote in 1982 in respect of traffic accidents and malicious damage to vehicles was £438,000 approximately. This figure also includes the cost of repairs to vehicles of third parties involved in some of these accidents and of compensation paid to third parties, but it does not take account of moneys received from third parties, which amounted to £28,000 approximately.
Costs charged to the Garda Vote in 1982 could, in some cases, relate to accidents or damage which occurred in previous years and, similarly, the cost of some accidents which occurred in 1982 would not be discharged and charged to the Garda Vote within that year. The number of traffic accidents (that is, not involving malicious damage incidents) involving Garda vehicles in 1982 was 403, which represents approximately 36 per cent of the total Garda fleet.