Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Mar 1990

Vol. 396 No. 6

Written Answers. - Remission of Penalties.

Eric J. Byrne

Question:

159 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, in light of the statistics supplied in response to Parliamentary Question No. 64 of 8 February 1990 which showed that as a result of petitions to remit or commute penalties, he acceded to remit, partially remit or extend payment time for 1,599 cases out of 3,300 petitions; if he will have published in Iris Oifigiúil all petitions acceded to on the same basis, as he is obliged to do under section 23 (5) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1951, when remitting disqualified drivers from holding driving licences.

Minister for Justice (Mr. Burke)

Subsection 23 (5) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1951, refers specifically to the Road Traffic Act, 1933, which was repealed by the Road Traffic Act, 1961. Under section 124 of the new Act, disqualification for holding a driving licence is excluded from being remitted under the petitions procedure. As remissions of this nature no longer arise, neither does the matter of publication in Iris Oifigiúil.

It would be contrary to long established practice to publish the outcome of individual petitions for the remission or mitigation of penalties and I do not propose to do so.