Kirk wants all-Ireland penalty points system

The co-chair of the British-Irish Inter-parliamentary body has called for the penalty points system to be enforced on the entire island of Ireland.

Speaking at the 25th plenary session of the body in Manchester, Fianna Fail Deputy, Seamus Kirk, said that if northern motorists were penalised in the south, insurance premiums might come down.

"Insurance premiums are loaded, principally because they feel that Northern Ireland motorists seem to be involved in a quite a high percentage of accidents happening in the counties of Louth and Meath," he said.

"I believe if we had the penalty points system on an All-Ireland basis, the argument in favour of loaded insurance premiums in Louth and Meath quite simply wouldn't exist."