Skip to main content
Normal View

Penalty Points System

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Questions (737)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

737. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the recent new regulations which will allow insurance companies to access drivers' penalty point information from the National Vehicle Driver File; his views that penalty points accruals are being comprehensively recorded and transferred to the NVDF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6715/13]

View answer

Written answers

I signed a Commencement Order on 21st December 2012 to commence Section 53(3) (c) of the Road Traffic Act 2010. That section of the Act places the supply of data on penalty points to the insurance industry on a legal footing. The new measure will give insurance companies reliable and up-to-date information from my Department's National Vehicle Driver File (NVDF) on serious offences which have incurred penalty points. As the Deputy maybe aware, insurance companies already have access to the NVDF to verify the number of penalty points incurred by individual drivers.  Now, they will be able to determine whether an offence involved drink driving, speeding, using a mobile phone, or any of the 13 specific categories of serious offence.

There are currently 2.67 million licensed drivers in Ireland of whom 487,000 have penalty points applied to their licence records. The new system will be implemented across the motor insurance sector on a phased basis over the next few months. The information will not be available to the general public and the arrangement is subject to strict data protection controls. Penalty points data for endorsement on the NVDF as required by Section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 2002 derives from two sources An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service. While it is a matter for both bodies to satisfy themselves that all the details necessary for the endorsement of penalty points on the NVDF are recorded by them prior to transfer, my Department is satisfied that where such details are transferred, the appropriate number of penalty points are endorsed on the NVDF.

Top
Share