Extension to penalty points system: The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, warned yesterday that pressure from gardaí would not change plans to add uninsured driving and safety-belt offences to the penalty points system.
The Minister said despite threats by gardaí that they will not enforce the system until a computerised network is put in place, drivers should be under no illusion that they could use these "administrative hiccups" to get out of the scheme.
Two new penalty points offences, and an agreement in principle with the insurance industry to introduce a new "no penalty points" bonus scheme for drivers, were outlined by Mr Brennan.
The extension of penalty points will apply to uninsured drivers who will receive five points when fined in court. The expected implementation date is June 1st.
The second new offence, effective from July 1st, will be two penalty points for not wearing seat- belts and four if there is a conviction in court.
Mr Brennan, who made the announcements at an ad hoc press conference on the street outside the Department of Transport, said the implementation of the seat-belt offence would be subject to Garda assurance before that date that they were in a position to fully implement it.
"The Garda Commissioner will no doubt be able to give that assurance to the Minister for Justice before July 1st," he said.
Asked about the statement by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) that they would be unwilling to work the system in its current form, the Minister said he was told the computer contract had been placed and was probably about 12 months away from completion.
"But I do acknowledge that the gardaí are under extra pressure but what can be more important that trying to save lives on the roads? Road deaths are down 40 per cent since the introduction of penalty points, which is really a phenomenal figure."
Despite possible industrial relations problems, he said: "I honestly believe the rank-and-file gardaí up and down the country support this scheme."
However, on the AGSI, the Minister said: "That same organisation the day before we introduced penalty points last October did call on me to abandon it and we weren't in a position to do that and I think we were right not to because a number of people now are alive who otherwise may not be here."
Mr Brennan agreed that the March figure for road deaths was disappointing this year.
"The message I have from the gardaí is quite clear. If you are caught speeding, you will get penalty points and you will be put off the road," he warned.
"I'm not looking for war with the gardaí or looking for war with anybody. What I am doing is trying to make certain that a system that has been proven to show results - that we don't let it slip."
The Minister said he had reached agreement in principle with the insurance industry.
"They will introduce a new scheme of giving bonus points for people who don't have penalty points for 12 months, a bit like the no-claims bonus scheme - it's a no-penalty-point bonus scheme."
He has yet to work out the details fully. There is also the question of supply of information. The industry has told him if they receive the necessary information, they will load the insurance premiums of those with a lot of penalty points.
There are also different views on the point at which they should start to load insurance policies, or how much the bonus should be.
The Irish Insurance Federation's chief executive, Mr Mike Kemp, said the penalty points system was about rewarding good drivers as well as penalising high-risk drivers.
Mr Eddie Shaw of the National Safety Council said a new website, www.penaltypoints.ie, had been launched which gave details of offences.
He also urged drivers to slow down over the Easter bank holiday weekend to avoid fatalities, penalty points or higher insurance premiums.
Asst Garda Commissioner Tom Hickey said he was confident concerns over the enforcement of penalty points would be sorted out.