asked the Minister for Justice the amount of money collected to date from On the Spot parking fines; and if he will allocate this amount in full to the Minister for Local Government for the provision of car parks.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Parking Fines.
45.
The amounts paid in at Garda stations and remitted to my Department in the period from 1st April, 1963, when the scheme commenced, to 31st January, 1966, was £86,989. It is estimated that a further sum of £2,800 is payable in respect of "fines-on-the-spot" up to the present date.
In a standing arrangement with the Department of Local Government, fines collected under the Road Traffic Acts and a small percentage of the Road Fund are allocated as an appropriation in aid of the Garda Síochána Vote as a contribution to the cost of the Force in the administration of the Road Traffic Act.
Does the Minister consider it reasonable to collect in the region of £90,000 from on-the-spot fines when nothing whatever is being done to provide parking accommodation for the people who are being fined and when it is utterly impossible to park a car without practically going out of the city? Surely it is reasonable that money collected in this way at very little expense—I have had experience of it; after being in with the Minister for Health, I came out and it was only at Butt Bridge that I noticed I had £1 on the windscreen—should be set aside for providing parking spaces?
It is my considered view that it is not unreasonable that this money should be allocated to the increased cost of traffic enforcement and the considerably increasing need for further traffic enforcement which would cost further money. In the future, I intend devoting all the money I can obtain to increasing the efficiency of the Force and the funds from this source are one aspect in relation to that increased enforcement in relation to the Acts.
It is typical of the ruthlessness of the mind that decided to do away with the Band.