Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 October 2020
85. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport his plans to provide enhanced powers to local authorities and An Garda Síochána to issue fines based on photographic evidence and to encourage them to issue fines based on illegal parking they witness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29287/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 81 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 provides for the use of cameras, if so required, by the Gardaí to assist in the detection of certain traffic offences under the Road Traffic Acts. The offences specified include those made under Section 35 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 which is the basis for the current Traffic and Parking Regulations covering, among other things, the parking offences mentioned by the Deputy. This power has been successfully used by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, working in partnership with the Gardaí, in relation to speeding offences and it is available to other road authorities to use those powers on a similar basis for other offences.
Given the burden of proof for the enforcement of such criminal offences, however, the same Act specifically requires that any electronic apparatus used to capture this nature of evidence must have been approved in advance either by An Garda Síochána itself or by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
