Fines Administration

Tuesday, 12 July 2022

Questions (744)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

744. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of cancelled fixed penalty notices by category including the offence in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022 in tabular form. [37673/22]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have contacted An Garda Síochána for the information requested by the Deputy, regretfully this information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 744 of 12 July 2022 where you asked for: “The number of cancelled fixed penalty notices by category including the offence in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022 in tabular form.”

As you will recall, I had sought the information you requested from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand.

As you will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the management of the Fixed Charge Processing System. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the total number of Fixed Charge Notices that were issued in the years 2020, 2021 and up to 30 June 2022; and the number cancelled (status of ‘terminated’) in the same period.

FCN	2020	2021	Up to 30 June 2022	Grand Total
Issued	337374	328265	153870	819539
Terminated	11224	10384	4151	25759
% Terminated	3.32%	3.16%	2.69%	3.14%

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the table in the attached Appendix sets out the number of Fixed Charge Notices issued by offence group for the years 2020, 2021 and up to 30 June 2022; and the number of fixed charge notices that were cancelled (status of ‘terminated’) in the same period.

As you will be aware, Judge Matthew Deery was appointed as the sole Independent Oversight Authority for the Garda FCPS Cancellation Policy by Minister Frances Fitzgerald in January 2015, following a recommendation contained in the Garda Professional Standards Unit (GPSU) report, "Examination of the Procedures, Policy and Decision-Making Processes in relation to Cancellations on the Fixed Charge Processing System of the Road Traffic-related Offences", published by the Minister at the same time.

Minister Heather Humphreys TD, published the fifth and sixth annual reports of the Independent Oversight Authority for the Garda Fixed Charge Processing System (FCPS) Cancellation Policy, covering the years 2019 and 2020 on the 20 September 2021.

In finalising his reports, Judge Deery stated that he was satisfied that there has been substantial compliance with the Fixed Charge Processing System Policy and Procedures Manual Fourth Edition.

Judge Deery’s oversight reports reinforce public trust in the process and his important work remains crucial to maintaining independent confidence in the processing system.

Judge Deery's seventh annual report, covering 2021, was recently submitted to my Department and I expect to be in a position to publish it on my Department’s website later in 2022.

Appendix

		2020		2021		Up to 30 June 2022*		Grand Total
Offence Groups	Issued	Term- inated	Issued	Term- inated	Issued	Term- inated	Issued	Term- inated
Bus Lane/Street & Bus/Taxi Parking	5153	115	4788	89	3125	59	13066	263
Clearway/Disabled Bay Parking	3971	255	5098	406	2775	150	11844	811
Crash Helmets	18		24		10		52
Drink-Driving	621		611		314		1546
Driving a Vehicle without Reasonable Consideration	5741	124	6009	120	2470	38	14220	282
Driving on/Across a Footway/Cycle Lane or Median Strip	123		113		53		289
Failure to Yield Right of Way	122		149		55		326
Hirer Parking Offences	989	48	940	30	581	22	2510	100
Mandatory Signs. Reverse & Weight	283		204		46		533
Mobile Phone Offences	24482	358	23846	281	9853	88	58181	727
Motorway Offences	158		167		58		383
Overtaking	511		542		202		1255
Park Sign/Road Markings	15829	502	14272	419	5443	130	35544	1051
Parking – Interfere with Fire/Garda/Ambulance	32		33		11		76
Parking in a Loading Bay or School Entrance	710	26	797	36	370	12	1877	74
Parking within 15 metres	50		59		24		133
Parking within 5 metres	443		393		161		997
Park-Manner/Location	7891	238	9203	297	4619	151	21713	686
Pedal Cycle Offences	1267	92	932	48	526	37	2725	177
Pedestrianised Street/Area	109		89		42		240
Provisional/Novice Driver	12314	440	13701	485	6313	193	32328	1118
Public Order Offences	5734	264	5853	221	3319	97	14906	582
Roadway-Cross Centre Lines	970		992		486		2448
Seatbelt Offences	8784	227	7276	152	3155	42	19215	421
Signal by Driver Garda Warden	287		253		89		629
Speeding	181291	5572	179882	5266	81397	2099	442570	12937
Tax/Ins (No Disc)	42631	2319	37956	2160	21334	873	101921	5352
Traffic Lights-Driving Past	4456	100	3914	49	1973	27	10343	176
Traffic Signs and Road Markings	1786	33	1778	20	999	16	4563	69
Tram Lane/Street & Cycle Lane	554	24	367	13	295	10	1216	47
Tyre Offences	2700	60	2338	46	970	12	6008	118
Vehicle Authorisation Plates	44		53		18		115
Vehicle Certification	6253	307	4863	155	2470	66	13586	528
Vehicle Lighting	1013		709		292		2014
Vehicle Weight	54		61		22		137
Others **							30
Other Offences***		120		91		29		240
Total	337374	11224	328265	10384	153870	4151	819539	25759

* Figures for 2022 cover the period from 01/01/2022 to 30/06/2022

** Issued figures less than 10 have been excluded from the data table and, therefore, the offence groups of Speed Limitation Devices, SPSV Regulations, Railway Level Crossing and Prohibited/Restricted Parking have been combined together into an ‘Others’ group.

*** Terminated figures less than ten have been excluded from the tables and, therefore, a number of offence groups have been combined together into an ‘Other Offences’ group. These are offence groups Drink-Driving, Driving on/Across a Footway/Cycle Lane or Median Strip, Failure to Yield Right of Way, Mandatory Signs. Reverse & Weight, Motorway Offences, Overtaking, Parking – Interfere with Fire/Garda/Ambulance, Parking within 5 or 15 metres, Pedestrianised Area/Street, Railway Level Crossing, Signal by Driver Garda Warden, Vehicle Authorisation Plates, Vehicle Lighting and Vehicle Weight.

Additional Information

Figures are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2020 to 30/06/2022, inclusive. All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the FCPS system as was available on 19/07/2022 and is liable to change.