The Oireachtas Transport Committee Chair has described it as “deeply disturbing” that drivers continue to avoid penalty points by making a donation to charity.
Figures released by New Courts Service revealed that 480 penalty-point road traffic offences were avoided after the offender made a charity donation.
All despite a ruling of the High Court 11 years ago that declared the District Court had no jurisdiction to sanction the practice.
On The Pat Kenny Show, Oireachtas Transport Committee Chair Michael Murphy urged the courts to enforce the law.
“I find it deeply disturbing,” he said.
“Since 2022, 480 penalty point offences struck out; I don’t think that’s acceptable.
“There’s no consistency, we have certain counties, for example, Wicklow, Leitrim, Clare, Kerry and Kildare where no penalty points have been struck out.
“Yet in counties like Cork, for example, 41 offences have been struck out since 2022.”
A District Court. Picture by: The Court Service of Ireland. The Fine Gael TD said the public expect the law around penalty points to be applied with “consistency”.
“I do welcome the intervention of the President of the District Court, Paul Kelly,” he added.
“There was a ruling in 2014 that says the penalty points system supersedes the District Court’s common law jurisdiction to allow poor box donations in lieu of convictions.
“So, I would appeal to the President of the District Court again to intervene.”
The M50 motorway in Dublin. Picture by: Peter Cavanagh / Alamy Stock Photo. Deputy Murphy continued that he understands the Minister for Transport is now considering reform.
However, he feels given the clarity of the High Court ruling that is unnecessary.
“I fully respect the independence of the judiciary and I’m not trying to cross that line,” he said.
“What’s really important for me is that road safety laws are applied consistently.
“And, more importantly, that the public have confidence in the system.”
Deputy Murphy said he has tabled a number of Parliamentary Questions, seeking to learn which charities have benefited from the donations.
So far this year, 150 people have died on Irish roads - six fewer than the 144 who died during the same period in 2024.
Main image: Speed cameras. Picture by: Alamy.com.
