As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the operation of the Fixed Charge Penalty System, which is under the remit of the Garda Fixed Charge Processing Office.
I have been advised by An Garda Síochána that no person issued with a Fixed Charge Penalty Notice (FCPN) is deemed to have 'failed' to pay the Notice once the statutory payment window has passed. Rather, a person has a right to refuse to pay the notice and take the option of Court proceedings. The reasons why a person may not pay the Notice are varied and not recorded by An Garda Síochána.
I have contacted An Garda Síochána and have been provided with the following table which shows a yearly breakdown per Garda division of the number of instances in which a Fixed Charge Notice was issued for the offences of driving while holding a mobile phone and the eventual outcome was the issuance of a summons and/or court proceedings.
Figures are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2018 to 31/10/2021, inclusive. All information contained in this table is based upon operational data from the FCPS system as was available on 02/11/2021 and is liable to change.
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021*
|
Cavan/Monaghan
|
138
|
129
|
91
|
34
|
Clare
|
116
|
69
|
96
|
45
|
Cork City
|
225
|
168
|
168
|
152
|
Cork North
|
124
|
144
|
106
|
84
|
Cork West
|
64
|
61
|
26
|
20
|
D.M.R. Eastern
|
128
|
120
|
83
|
59
|
D.M.R. North Central
|
127
|
111
|
112
|
81
|
D.M.R. Northern
|
163
|
220
|
181
|
158
|
D.M.R. South Central
|
139
|
195
|
94
|
45
|
D.M.R. Southern
|
193
|
166
|
154
|
88
|
D.M.R. Western
|
307
|
323
|
326
|
219
|
Donegal
|
55
|
60
|
62
|
47
|
Galway Div
|
277
|
270
|
171
|
77
|
Kerry
|
137
|
133
|
115
|
89
|
Kildare Div
|
197
|
157
|
205
|
301
|
Kilkenny/Carlow
|
135
|
141
|
159
|
164
|
Laois/Offaly
|
145
|
129
|
100
|
142
|
Limerick
|
363
|
294
|
153
|
107
|
Louth Div
|
73
|
71
|
121
|
102
|
Mayo
|
56
|
126
|
85
|
93
|
Meath Div
|
85
|
88
|
151
|
197
|
Roscommon/Longford Div
|
71
|
63
|
55
|
40
|
Sligo/Leitrim
|
64
|
62
|
23
|
31
|
Tipperary
|
90
|
92
|
113
|
125
|
Waterford Div
|
103
|
103
|
135
|
149
|
Westmeath Div
|
43
|
34
|
37
|
52
|
Wexford Div
|
198
|
166
|
130
|
91
|
Wicklow Div
|
106
|
108
|
92
|
65
|
Yearly Total
|
3922
|
3803
|
3344
|
2857
|
*Figures for 2021 up to 31/10/2021