asked the Minister for Justice the total number of traffic wardens employed by his Department; the number of vacancies for traffic wardens; and why this number of vacancies has occurred.
Written Answers. - Traffic Wardens.
166.
There are no traffic wardens employed by my Department. The position is that the Road Traffic Act, 1968 empowered the Commissioner, Garda Síochána, to appoint traffic wardens—"authorised persons"—to operate the fixed penalty system for parking offences and, in accordance with the provisions of that Act, traffic wardens were initially appointed by him. In 1970, as a transitional arrangement pending the enactment of legislation to enable local authorities themselves to operate a traffic warden service in their functional areas, Dublin Corporation agreed to employ wardens on an agency basis subject to their appointment being authorised by the Commissioner and the cost being recouped out of the Garda Vote. The legislation—the Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act—was enacted in 1975, and some local authorities now operate a traffic warden service under the provisions of that Act.
At present, apart from the service operated by some local authorities under the 1975 Act, a total of 34 traffic wardens are employed by five local authorities, on an agency basis, under the Road Traffic Act, 1968. I assume that the Deputy is interested primarily in the Dublin situation and the present position there is that 22 traffic wardens are employed by Dublin Corporation. The numbers employed have been dropping in recent years due partly to transfers from the service and partly to the fact that authorisation of new appointments has been withheld by the Commissioner pending settlement of difficulties which arose in regard to the extension of the duties of wardens and clarification of the position in regard to the taking over of the service by Dublin Corporation under the 1975 Act. Pending resolution of these matters, no decision was made as to the precise number of additional wardens that might be required to provide an adequate service.
There have been discussions between the Garda authorities, Dublin Corporation and my Department about these matters. Within the past week my Department have been notified that the Traffic Sub-Committee of Dublin Corporation have in fact decided to recommend to the city council not to establish a traffic warden service in the city under the 1975 Act and that responsibility for the existing service should revert to the Garda Síochána. These recommendations are due to be considered by an Coiste Cuspóirí Coitean and the city council. In the meantime, the situation is also being examined by the Garda authorities, the Department of the Environment and my Department.
The enforcement of parking regulations is not, of course, confined to traffic wardens and members of the Garda Síochána on beat duty continue to perform this function and to issue fixed penalty notices in Dublin and elsewhere.