Vol. 513 No. 4
202 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of company cars seized or received by the Garda in the Dublin metropolitan area during 1999; the storage facilities available to remove them from public places; his views on their adequacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2418/00]
At the outset, I presume that what the Deputy means by a "company car" is one where an old vehicle is bought by young people for as little as £50 to £100 with the intention of driving it untaxed and uninsured. In such cases, generally speaking, the driver is ineligible to hold a driving licence by reason of his or her age. I am informed by the Garda authorities that section 41 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994, empowers them to detain a vehicle in circumstances such as I have outlined, specifically where: the driver has no licence or is ineligible to hold one by reason of age; the driver has no insurance; the vehicle is untaxed for more than three months.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that it is not possible to distinguish between company cars and lawfully registered vehicles seized under section 41 of the Road Traffic Act and where vehicles, including company cars, are not subsequently reclaimed by their owners they are disposed of by the Garda in accordance with the appropriate regulations. I am further informed by the Garda authorities that 2,861 vehicles were seized in the Dublin metropolitan area in 1999 under section 41 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994.
In relation to storage facilities, the Garda has capacity for more than 700 vehicles at various locations within the Dublin metropolitan area. I wish to assure the Deputy that any request from the Garda authorities for additional storage facilities will, of course, be given full consideration by my Department.
