asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the concern about the number of parking fines that are cancelled; the reason such fines are cancelled; in view of the public concern about this matter, if he will make an order that such fines cannot be cancelled in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Cancellation of Parking Fines.
35.
The Garda authorities have reported that the total number of parking notices issued in 1986 was 484,554 and, of this number 29,590, or 6.1 per cent, were cancelled. I am informed that the returns so far available this year indicate a cancellation rate of just over 3 per cent to the end of August, but it is expected that, allowing time for processing requests for cancellation, the cancellation rate for the whole year will be somewhat higher.
Parking notices may be cancelled in a number of circumstances, including where:
(1)the offender can show that there is a good defence under the Road Traffic Acts;
(2)the vehicle concerned is exempted under Parking By-Laws;
(3)Garda District Officers consider that cancellation is warranted under the provisions of the Garda Síochána Code;
(4)the notice is wrongly completed or illegible;
(5)the recorded registration details are incorrect;
(6)the person issuing the notice has left the service and is unavailable to give evidence.
The Garda authorities assure me that every effort is being made to keep to a minimum the number of parking notices which are cancelled. I do not consider that the present cancellation rate would warrant measures to abolish the current provisions under which notices are cancelled. The matter will however, be kept under review.