Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 March 2013
435. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if a new system has been put in place in terms of cases where a driving licence has not been produced in court; the reason there has been a delay in fully enforcing section 63 of the 2010 Act (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14983/13]
View answerAs I previously advised the Deputy, the Courts Service has put in place arrangements to ensure that summonses issued since May 2012 include wording to advise persons charged with an offence under the Road Traffic Acts to bring their driving licence together with a photocopy of the licence when they are attending court. I am informed that the Courts Service has communicated with the judiciary to facilitate an arrangement that defendants who appear before the court are requested in court to produce their driving licence and a copy thereof to the court registrar for the purpose of having the driving licence number recorded. Additionally, Registrars have been requested to record whether or not the licence or a copy thereof was produced to the court. Where the driving licence number is recorded and on conviction the details are provided to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The Deputy will appreciate that the courts are, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions and the conduct of any court case is a matter for the presiding judge.
In relation to cases where the driving licence number has not been produced, the Service has indicated that they are continuing to evaluate the systems introduced to ensure that they are fully functional to, in due course, provide An Garda Síochána with the necessary information to initiate the prosecutions. The Service has stated that work is ongoing in this area and it has, as I have already informed the Deputy, undertaken to provide a further update by the end of July 2013.
