Worst road offenders ‘escaping sanctions’

A former head of the Garda Traffic Bureau, whose review of the penalty points system six years ago was "shelved", has said the worst driving offenders are escaping sanction.

Former Garda chief superintendent John O’Brien said the controversy around fixed-charge penalties in the last year would not have happened if his report had been examined properly.

The report, commissioned by the Garda ombudsman in 2008, was forwarded to the then justice minister but was ignored and is “still gathering dust”, Mr O’Brien told TDs.