Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2015
629. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 142 of 29 April 2015, in which he stated that he had asked the Road Safety Authority to reply, if he will revisit the question, as the parliamentary question specifically requests his opinion on the authority's figures. [18396/15]
View answerA driver can be disqualified from driving either by the Courts or on accumulating 12 penalty points (7 penalty points in the case of learner permit holders or novice drivers).
Under regulation 45 of the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 537 of 2006), as amended by S.I. no. 6 of 2013, it is a legal requirement that people who are disqualified from driving must surrender their driving licences to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), in its capacity as the national driver licensing authority. Failure to do so is an offence.
While the numbers of licences surrendered to the RSA appear to be low, as the Deputy may be aware, it is still an offence to drive while disqualified, whether or not the licence has been surrendered. Currently, An Garda Síochána has the power to demand production of a driving licence and may seize such licence where the member has reasonable grounds for believing that the individual has been disqualified. In addition, I will shortly commence section 6(c) of the Road Traffic Act 2014 to create a Garda power of arrest in cases of people driving while disqualified.
I will also ensure that the matter of disqualified drivers surrendering licences continues to be considered in the context of the Criminal Justice Working Group deliberations of the Fixed Charge Processing System, with a view to ensuring that the most effective arrangements are in place for the surrender of all licences and related measures.
