Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Feb 1999

Vol. 500 No. 4

Written Answers. - Road Traffic Offences.

Enda Kenny

Question:

341 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the prosecutions brought for each of the past three years for truck overloading; the number of convictions in this regard; the amount accrued in fines as a consequence; the conditions required before this conviction can be attained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4231/99]

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

The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the tabular statement as follows:

Year	No. of Prosecutionsfor Overloading	No of Convictionsfor Overloading
1997	772	520
1996	921	727
1995	793	499

The statistics in relation to 1998 are not yet available. With regard to the amount of revenue collected from these prosecutions, court statistics are not compiled in such a way as to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that in order to attain a conviction it must be proved by the prosecution that the weight of a vehicle as laden exceeds the maximum weight laden applying to the vehicle.