Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Apr 1996

Vol. 464 No. 1

Written Answers. - Parking Fines Data.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

93 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Justice the numbers of parking fines in the Dublin Metropolitan Area for the three most recent years available; the number of fines paid before a court case; the number of fines paid late and payment returned or refused by the parking fines office; the number of cases which went to court; the decisions of the courts, divided into the categories of fine only, licence suspension and endorsement; the number of cases rejected or disallowed by the court; whether statistics on the number of these cases that were subsequently appealed to a higher court are available in relation to those cases where licences were suspended or endorsed; and, if so, whether decisions can further be divided into categories of no change in decision, suspension removed or fine reduced. [7803/96]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

The most recent statistics in relation to the number of parking fines issued are in respect of the years 1992, 1993 and 1994. These are available in the Garda Síochána annual reports, copies of which may be obtained in the Oireachtas Library.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that very few payments are refused at the parking fines office as since the introduction in 1992 of late payment after the issue of a summons, payment can be accepted five working days before a court date, subject to the payment of an administration fee. However, statistics are not available concerning fines returned or refused which are received less than five days before a court date.

Statistics in regard to the number of cases before the courts are not maintained in such a way as to provide the information sought by the Deputy. A disproportionate amount of departmental resources would be expended in compiling the information.