Thousands of motorists are still escaping penalty points because their official notice is returned in the post marked “undelivered”.

Disciplinary proceedings must be taken against gardaí who continued to cancel penalty points in breach of official policy, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said.

A second Garda report into penalty point terminations has said that the centralised office in charge of cancellations was “operating effectively” and that confidence could be placed in it.

Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe has said reforms prompted by an internal Garda investigation into penalty points "will stop abuse of the system".

The Garda Ombudsman is hiring outside investigators to enable it complete its massive investigation into penalty points.

Some 21 serving or retired gardaí are to be subject to further investigation in relation to the cancellation of penalty points.

The Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan says the penalty points system is much stronger since new measures were brought in last June.

A new report into the penalty points system has found that around one-in-six cancellations should be subject to further investigation.

Sergeant Maurice McCabe is set to begin working with the Garda Professional Standards Unit tomorrow.

The retired garda who made public the quashing of penalty points yesterday claimed Independent TD Clare Daly’s name was recorded on a criminal intelligence system when she attended a meeting at which the late Brian Lenihan was speaking.

A NEW unit is to be set up within the gardaí to boost professional standards in the force.

Garda investigations in all divisions will be checked for errors by a new internal unit, it emerged today.