Backlog threatens penalty points

MORE than 20,000 speeding offences have yet to be processed due to a mounting administrative backlog which gardaí claim could threaten the entire penalty points system.

The controversial system has also been delayed because of legal problems which have prevented gardaí from issuing tickets pending clarification from garda law officers.

Gardaí at the Fines Office in Dublin, where the majority of offences are dealt with, are struggling to clear the backlog, while at the same time processing new speeding offences.

In addition, gardaí have had to introduce a further penalty points offence driving without insurance which came into practice at the beginning of the month.

A third offence driving without a seatbelt is to be introduced at the end of the month.

"If you keep adding more offences, the scheme is going to burst at the seams. It's just pure nonsense," said PJ Stone of the Garda Representative Association.

"All Minister Brennan wants is lavish praise. By bringing in more penalty points he will bring the system into disrepute. He would not roll out the LUAS with one rail," he added.

Each one of the 20,000 speeding detections has to ¾ viewed by a garda, who then has to fill out the relevant tickets and forms.

In Dublin, the information is then inputted by clerical officers into an interim computer system.

Outside Dublin, tickets are sent to divisional garda headquarters. From these centres, the data is sent to a private company, SWS Group in Bandon, Co Cork.

A computer was only installed in the Dublin Fines Office on 20 May. Previously, clerks had to write details into ledgers.

The 50 clerks in the Fines Office are said to be working "flat out", and are doing overtime on Saturdays.

In March, Transport Minister Seamus Brennan announced that, according to Garda management, capacity in the issuing of penalty point notices would be increased by 50% to deal with backlog of offences.

The Garda Press Office said additional staff had been deployed to the Fines Offices, but could not specify the scale of the deployment.

A spokesman would not comment on the backlog, but said the delay in processing detections had been reduced from three months in March to less than two months.

He said this was well within the six months allowed to issue a summons against a driver challenging a fine.

The spokesman said the legal queries had been clarified and that there was no additional delay in issuing tickets as a result.

Both the GRA and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors have called for a suspension of further penalty points until a proper computer system is installed in garda stations.

The computer system, which involves updating the troubled PULSE system, is not expected to be in place until at least early next year.