Catherine Murphy
Question:
199. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of fixed charge notices issued by An Garda Síochána in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021 by Garda district and division to learner drivers for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver; the number of drivers that failed to pay the fixed charge notice in each year; the number of drivers summoned to court for failure to pay; the number of drivers convicted each year by district court and penalties imposed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24793/21]
View answer
I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Courts Service and An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Question Number 199 which was for answer on 12 May 2021, where you requested the number of fixed charge notices issued by An Garda Síochána in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021 by Garda district and division to learner drivers for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver; the number of drivers that failed to pay the fixed charge notice in each year; the number of drivers summoned to court for failure to pay; the number of drivers convicted each year by district court and penalties imposed. You will recall that the information could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service and to contact you again when the information was available.
The Garda authorities and the Courts Services have provided me with the tables in the attached Appendix which outline –
1. The number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Garda division;
2. The number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver and, in addition, a summons was issued and/or the case was sent to court, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Garda division;
3. The number of persons before the courts by the way of summons or charge sheet for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Court Area;
4. The number of persons convicted and the penalty imposed by the District Courts for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver in 2019, 2020 and from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021;
I am advised by An Garda Síochána that given the large number of districts, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the relevant fixed charge notices issued to district level.
I trust this information is of assistance.
Appendix
Table 1: The number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Garda division.
|
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021*
|
|
Cavan/Monaghan
|
220
|
152
|
39
|
|
Clare
|
99
|
64
|
29
|
|
Cork City
|
213
|
286
|
114
|
|
Cork North
|
225
|
264
|
128
|
|
Cork West
|
169
|
133
|
33
|
|
D.M.R. Eastern
|
107
|
103
|
44
|
|
D.M.R. North Central
|
220
|
196
|
54
|
|
D.M.R. Northern
|
353
|
377
|
188
|
|
D.M.R. South Central
|
164
|
276
|
125
|
|
D.M.R. Southern
|
489
|
454
|
141
|
|
D.M.R. Western
|
714
|
835
|
396
|
|
Donegal
|
105
|
86
|
40
|
|
Galway Div
|
208
|
220
|
82
|
|
Kerry
|
140
|
105
|
32
|
|
Kildare Div
|
376
|
499
|
212
|
|
Kilkenny/Carlow
|
168
|
230
|
97
|
|
Laois/Offaly
|
236
|
357
|
158
|
|
Limerick
|
364
|
244
|
67
|
|
Louth Div
|
127
|
152
|
39
|
|
Mayo
|
76
|
85
|
31
|
|
Meath Div
|
82
|
194
|
112
|
|
Roscommon/Longford Div
|
110
|
176
|
55
|
|
Sligo/Leitrim
|
47
|
36
|
17
|
|
Tipperary
|
166
|
226
|
97
|
|
Waterford Div
|
185
|
335
|
118
|
|
Westmeath Div
|
105
|
112
|
56
|
|
Wexford Div
|
396
|
448
|
136
|
|
Wicklow Div
|
284
|
239
|
111
|
* Figures for 2021 up to 30/04/2021
Table 2: The number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver and, in addition, a summons was issued and/or the case was sent to court, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Garda division.
|
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021*
|
|
Cavan/Monaghan
|
59
|
40
|
10
|
|
Clare
|
36
|
24
|
-
|
|
Cork City
|
68
|
103
|
13
|
|
Cork North
|
74
|
77
|
22
|
|
Cork West
|
32
|
34
|
-
|
|
D.M.R. Eastern
|
35
|
32
|
-
|
|
D.M.R. North Central
|
95
|
75
|
-
|
|
D.M.R. Northern
|
117
|
131
|
24
|
|
D.M.R. South Central
|
52
|
98
|
19
|
|
D.M.R. Southern
|
190
|
179
|
27
|
|
D.M.R. Western
|
288
|
307
|
59
|
|
Donegal
|
25
|
24
|
-
|
|
Galway Div
|
67
|
93
|
15
|
|
Kerry
|
48
|
36
|
-
|
|
Kildare Div
|
93
|
153
|
35
|
|
Kilkenny/Carlow
|
53
|
69
|
17
|
|
Laois/Offaly
|
73
|
142
|
19
|
|
Limerick
|
145
|
100
|
-
|
|
Louth Div
|
44
|
43
|
-
|
|
Mayo
|
21
|
17
|
-
|
|
Meath Div
|
28
|
64
|
10
|
|
Roscommon/Longford Div
|
32
|
61
|
18
|
|
Sligo/Leitrim
|
11
|
-
|
-
|
|
Tipperary
|
60
|
80
|
12
|
|
Waterford Div
|
84
|
134
|
20
|
|
Westmeath Div
|
28
|
29
|
-
|
|
Wexford Div
|
117
|
136
|
20
|
|
Wicklow Div
|
117
|
108
|
23
|
* Figures for 2021 up to 30/04/2021
Additional Information provided by An Garda Síochána
Figures contained in Tables 1 and 2 are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2019 to 30/04/2021, inclusive. All information contained in Tables 1 and 2 is based upon operational data from the Fixed Charge Penalty System as was available on 04/05/2021 and is liable to change. Figures less than 10 are excluded from the data tables.
Table 3: The number of persons before the courts by the way of summons or charge sheet for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Court Area.
|
|
Jan – Dec 2019
|
Jan – Dec 2020
|
Jan – 31 Mar 2021
|
|
Court Area
|
No of Persons Listed
|
No of Persons Listed
|
No of Persons Listed
|
|
AN CLOCHAN LIATH
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
ARDEE
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
ARKLOW
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
ATHLONE
|
*
|
10
|
*
|
|
ATHY
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
BALLAGHADERREEN
|
*
|
0
|
0
|
|
BALLINA
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
BALLINASLOE
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
BALLYSHANNON
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
BANDON
|
18
|
*
|
*
|
|
BANTRY
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
BRAY
|
36
|
21
|
*
|
|
CAHIRCIVEEN
|
0
|
0
|
*
|
|
CARLOW
|
29
|
20
|
15
|
|
CARNDONAGH
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
CARRICK ON SHANNON
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
CARRICK ON SUIR
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
CARRICKMACROSS
|
19
|
10
|
*
|
|
CASHEL
|
24
|
19
|
*
|
|
CASTLEBAR
|
*
|
18
|
0
|
|
CASTLEREA
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
CAVAN
|
19
|
13
|
*
|
|
CLIFDEN
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
CLONAKILTY
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
CLONMEL
|
11
|
12
|
*
|
|
CORK CITY
|
117
|
45
|
20
|
|
DONEGAL
|
*
|
0
|
0
|
|
DROGHEDA
|
29
|
19
|
*
|
|
DUBLIN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
|
579
|
382
|
56
|
|
DUNDALK
|
16
|
12
|
0
|
|
DUNGARVAN
|
12
|
*
|
*
|
|
ENNIS
|
28
|
27
|
*
|
|
FERMOY
|
31
|
21
|
*
|
|
GALWAY
|
38
|
21
|
15
|
|
GOREY
|
58
|
32
|
14
|
|
GORT
|
*
|
0
|
0
|
|
KILCOCK
|
*
|
0
|
0
|
|
KILKENNY
|
35
|
14
|
*
|
|
KILLALOE
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
KILLARNEY
|
14
|
10
|
0
|
|
KILLORGLIN
|
0
|
*
|
0
|
|
KILRUSH
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
LETTERKENNY
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
LIMERICK
|
66
|
91
|
*
|
|
LISMORE
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
LISTOWEL
|
12
|
*
|
0
|
|
LONGFORD
|
21
|
20
|
*
|
|
LOUGHREA
|
15
|
*
|
*
|
|
MACROOM
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
MALLOW
|
37
|
31
|
11
|
|
MANORHAMILTON
|
0
|
*
|
0
|
|
MEATH
|
23
|
21
|
*
|
|
MIDLETON
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
MONAGHAN
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
MULLINGAR
|
20
|
*
|
*
|
|
NAAS
|
55
|
54
|
31
|
|
NENAGH
|
13
|
*
|
*
|
|
NEWCASTLE WEST
|
21
|
19
|
*
|
|
PORTLAOISE
|
51
|
35
|
32
|
|
ROSCOMMON
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
SKIBBEREEN
|
*
|
0
|
*
|
|
SLIGO
|
12
|
*
|
*
|
|
THURLES
|
10
|
*
|
*
|
|
TIPPERARY
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
TRALEE
|
19
|
14
|
0
|
|
TUAM
|
12
|
*
|
*
|
|
TUBBERCURRY
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
TULLAMORE
|
43
|
20
|
*
|
|
VIRGINIA
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
WATERFORD CITY
|
72
|
43
|
18
|
|
WEXFORD
|
55
|
46
|
18
|
|
WICKLOW
|
30
|
25
|
*
|
|
YOUGHAL
|
*
|
*
|
0
|
|
Total
|
1,840
|
1,254
|
352
|
*
Less than 10
Additional Information provided by the Courts Service
Courts can only provide data in relation to where offence codes provided on the system were used by prosecutors. Prosecutors may have used uncoded free text offences and any such offences would not be included in the data provided.
Table 4: The number of persons convicted and the penalty imposed by District Courts for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver in 2019, 2020 and 2021 to date.*
|
|
Community Service Order
|
Disqualification
|
Fine
|
Overall Total
|
|
2019
|
1
|
18
|
495
|
514
|
|
2020
|
0
|
6
|
217
|
223
|
|
2021*
|
0
|
2
|
72
|
74
|
|
Total
|
1
|
26
|
784
|
811
|
*As the number of persons convicted and penalties issued by Court Area is less than 10 for the majority of Court Areas, a breakdown of figures as requested by the Deputy is unavailable.
*Figures for 2021 are for the number of persons convicted and the penalty imposed by District Courts for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021, inclusive.
Additional Information provided by the Courts Service
A person may receive more than one order and will appear twice in the table. A person may receive the same penalty for more than one offence in the same Court Area and will only appear once on the report.
