System ‘bugs’ let drivers get away with it
Glitches in the penalty points system, allowing drivers to avail of loopholes to evade fines and prosecutions, are supposed to be ironed out when a new computerised system is rolled out, according to officials responsible for the system. Already this year, more than 7,500 cases have become statute barred - a dramatic increase on last year. This was due to problems in clarifying if notices were received in the post and problems arising when the old computer system was being extended to the Cork Garda Office in November 2003.
Garda Assistant Commissioner Pat Crummy told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee yesterday that a bug got into the computer system in Dublin and Cork and was not discovered until April 2004.
The bug resulted in problems related to identifying nominated drivers on the system and this lead to cases where no application for a summons was made.
The level of prosecutions of penalty points offences against drivers of company cars also remains extremely low, as do prosecutions against companies themselves for failing to identify the driver of a car when the offence occurred.
Out of the 235 cases for failing to nominate the driver identified in the first 14 months of penalty points, only 11 had prosecutions taken against them this year.
Department of Justice general secretary Sean Aylward said this problem was not going to be allowed to emerge as a significant loophole.
The heads of the Department of Justice, Department of Transport and the Garda Síochána gave assurances that glitches and loopholes identified in the penalty points system would be ironed out. However, Fine Gael TD John Deasy said he was unconvinced that the problems would be resolved.
Mr Aylward said the problems were due to the rushed introduction of the system and would be resolved.
“We will be judged by the very cold statistic of the number of road fatalities,” he said.
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