Road Traffic Offences

Tuesday, 22 February 2022

Ceisteanna (647)

Cathal Crowe

Ceist:

647. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice the total number of uninsured vehicles which have been identified by An Garda Síochána using the automatic number-plate recognition system to date; the total number of fines issued to those motorists; the total number of convictions; the total number of vehicles seized; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9642/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice (Deputy Helen McEntee)

As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system.

I have contacted the Courts Service and have been provided with the below table, which outlines the number of offences and persons for no insurance where convictions were recorded for the period 2017 – 2021; and the number & value of fines imposed for no insurance for the period 2017 – 2021.

The Deputy will appreciate that the Courts Service can only provide data in relation to where offence codes provided on the system were used by prosecutors. Prosecutors may have used uncoded free text offences and any such offences would not be included in the data provided.

The number of offences and persons convicted for no insurance recorded for the period 2017 – 2021

Year	No of offences where convictions were recorded	No of persons convicted
Jan - Dec 2017	11,948	9,957
Jan - Dec 2018	12,663	10,502
Jan - Dec 2019	12,636	10,256
Jan - Dec 2020	7,493	6,283
Jan - Dec 2021	10,144	8,408
Total	54,884	45,406

The number and value of fines imposed for no insurance for the period 2017 – 2021

Year	No of fines imposed	Value of fines imposed
Jan - Dec 2017	9,355	€3,513,081.00
Jan - Dec 2018	9,862	€3,595,160.35
Jan - Dec 2019	9,246	€3,421,182.00
Jan - Dec 2020	5,513	€1,961,883.00
Jan - Dec 2021	7,547	€2,836,492.00
Total	41,523	€15,327,798.35

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy in relation to the total number of uninsured vehicles which have been identified by An Garda Síochána using the automatic number-plate recognition system for the years 2017 up to 2021; and the total number of vehicles seized during the same period from the Garda authorities. I will forward it as soon as the information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

As you will recall, I provided information in respect of the total number of fines issued to those motorists and the total number of convictions. However, information in relation to the total number of uninsured vehicles identified by An Garda Síochána using the automatic number-plate recognition system for the years 2017 up to 2021 and the total number of vehicles seized was not to hand, and I undertook to contact you again once the information was received from the Garda authorities.

As you will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including road traffic matters. I, as Minister, have no role in such matters.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the uninsured watch list on the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system has been live since 12 July 2019 and records are available on the system since that date. Since July 2019, over 115,000 hits have occurred on the system for uninsured vehicles. This equates to over 66,000 unique vehicles.

I am further advised that Fixed Charge Notices can be issued for the offence of non-display of an insurance disc contrary to the Road Traffic Act. 2,100 such Fixed Charge Notices were issued for vehicles which also appeared as a hit on the ANPR system for uninsured vehicles. In addition to these offences, there are a number of insurance offences that lead directly to the issuance of a summons or charge that may lead to the penalty of a fine on conviction. I am informed that there were 6,110 incidents leading to the issuance of a summons and/or charge for insurance offences linked to vehicles which also appeared as a hit on the ANPR system for uninsured vehicles.

There were 6,618 incidents in which a vehicle was seized under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act, having also appeared as a hit on the ANPR system for uninsured vehicles, since the system went live in 2019.

I am advised that the above figures are based on records from 12 July 2019 to 31 December 2021, inclusive. As you will appreciate, all figures are based upon operational data from the ANPR System, the Pulse System and the Fixed Charge Processing System as was available on 28 February 2022, and is liable to change.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that ANPR hits can occur for a variety of reasons, for example, due to insurance and other reasons. Follow-up action may occur in respect of one or more of those reasons. Such actions may include Section 41 seizures and/or the issuing of a FCN or the issuing of summons for court. The numbers above refer to those where proceedings related to insurance specifically.

It must be noted that it is not always possible for a member of An Garda Síochána to respond immediately to a hit on the ANPR system as they may already be in the process of dealing with another incident or responding to a call. Prosecutions in respect of no insurance normally relate to the driver of the vehicle and not just the registered owner of the vehicle, therefore, prosecutions can only be taken in cases where the driver has been identified, either by the vehicle being stopped or through follow up enquiries. In addition, prior to the prosecution being initiated further checks must be made through MIBI and Insurance Ireland to ensure that no insurance policy is currently in place in respect of the driver or vehicle.

I am advised that the count of incidents whereby a summons/charge was issued, or whereby a Section 41 Seizure was recorded, is reliant upon the presence of a unique identifier (namely the vehicle registration) on both the ANPR record and the PULSE record. I am informed that this is not the same as the count of summons/charges issued or Section 41 seizures generally.