As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including operational policing matters. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
The table below, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines a yearly breakdown of the numbers of incidents in which a vehicle was seized under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act for reason of driving without insurance.
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
23,697
|
21,219
|
19,104
|
18,209
|
12,934
|
I am advised that the above figures are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2017 to 31/12/2021, inclusive. The Deputy will appreciate that these figures are based upon operational data from the Pulse system as was available on 21/02/2022 and are liable to change.