In mid-2013, the Minister for Justice and Equality and I asked a Working Group chaired by the Courts Service and including representatives from my Department, the Department of Justice and Equality, An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority, to examine a number of issues mainly related to the fixed charge and penalty points system. The Group was required, in particular, to report on the issues of handing licences into court in accordance with Section 63 of the Road Traffic Act 2010, the so-called 3rd payment option as set out in Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010, and the payment deposit scheme as set out in Part 4 of the Road Traffic Act 2010. The Group, in an interim report to both Ministers, identified a number of short term actions to contribute to addressing the issues raised on the effectiveness of the penalty point system. These include measures to be taken in the Courts relating to the production of driving licences by offenders and follow-up action by An Garda Síochána in the event of the non-production of a licence. The report also details the steps to be taken by the Gardaí and the Courts Service to give effect to the 3rd payment option.
The Group recommended that, given its overarching responsibility for road safety legislation and policy, my Department should lead the next phase of the Group's work, which will involve overseeing the implementation of the measures identified in the report. Other issues that could lead to an improvement in the operation of the fixed charge and penalty points system will also be examined by the Group.
