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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Dec 2000

Vol. 527 No. 3

Written Answers. - Road Traffic Offences.

Ceist:

283 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the current position in relation to the implementation of a penalty points system for road traffic offences; the constitutional difficulties which have been identified; the information technology system which will be used to manage the data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28478/00]

Robert Molloy

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

The Government strategy for road safety, 1998-2002, envisages a penalty points system as a key measure in support of road safety enforcement. The Government approved the drafting of legislation necessary for this measure on 26 July 2000. This followed consideration of the general scheme of a Bill by the Attorney General's office with a view to verifying its constitutional and legal validity.

The administration of the penalty points system will be supported by the proposed computerised national driver file, NDF, the appli cation for which is currently being funded. In prospect of the NDF becoming available in 2001, a project team involving my Department, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Garda and the Courts Service has been set up to progress a penalty points capacity within the NDF and to ensure that relevant IT programmes of the Garda and the Courts Service, which are now also under development, can also handle a penalty points system.
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