Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 April 2014
521. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of motor vehicles in the possession of her Department or agencies of her Department that are not required to hold motor tax; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16023/14]
View answer522. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of motor vehicles in the possession of her Department or agencies of her Department that do not hold an insurance policy; the manner in which insurance claims arising in respect of vehicles in the possession of her Department or its agencies are handled; the amount of insurance claims paid on behalf of her Department in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16039/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 521 and 522 together.
My Department does not hold any vehicles for official use; however both the Children Detention Schools and the Child and Family Agency hold vehicles on their fixed asset registers’. The Child and Family Agency are currently engaged in an asset reconciliation process with the HSE and any relevant information on motor vehicles will be forwarded to the Deputy when it is to hand. The Children Detention Schools in Oberstown have 14 vehicles in State ownership. As the vehicles are State owned they are exempt from the requirement for private motor insurance for the purposes of the Road Traffic Act 1961. However, it is a requirement to apply for and to display a motor tax disk on these vehicles and this is arranged each year.
My Department and the Children Detention Schools are clients of the State Claims Agency, which manages personal injury and property damage claims on behalf of State authorities, their servants or agents. Any claims which may arise in relation to these vehicles are managed by the State Claims Agency.
The State Claims Agency have confirmed that in respect of vehicles owned by delegated State bodies, in compliance with Public Financial Procedures, there is no commercial insurance policy in place. However a State Indemnity applies.
Should a claim arise relating to personal injury and third party property damage from an incident owned by a delegated State body, this will be handled by the State Claims Agency. Should a claim arise relating to damage to a State vehicle the cost will be borne by the State body/Department.
The State Claims Agency has indicated that they are only in a position to provide information on claims that are under their remit i.e. personal injury (employee’s and members of the public) and third party property damage. Thus we would only have available summary information on the number of road traffic collisions involving a particular Department. Details on whether the cause was attributed to another vehicle and driver and where the State vehicle was at fault are not recorded.
