Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 10 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 3

Written Answers - Sentencing Policy.

Noel Ahern

Question:

151 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the statistics over the past few years for the level of fines imposed with suspension for drink driving offences; if fines imposed can be analysed on a regional, court or individual judge basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27130/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

Court statistics are not compiled in such a way as to provide the information sought by the Deputy. However, I can provide the Deputy with statistics on the number of driving licence endorsements and disqualification orders made by the District Court in the legal years 92/3 to 95/6 and these are set out in the following table. Statistics for 96/7 and 97/8 will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

There are no data available on the level of fines imposed in conjunction with endorsement and disqualification orders.

Year	* number of endorsement and disqualification orders made by the District Courts
01/08/92 to 31/07/93	23,599
01/08/93 to 31/07/94	23,180
01/08/94 to 31/07/95	19,110
01/08/95 to 31/07/96	14,584

* Note: When a person is disqualified from driving his/her licence will automatically be endorsed. However an endorsement does not automatically lead to a disqualification and we can not say how many of these orders are endorsement only orders or combined disqualification and endorsement orders.