MORE THAN HALF of the fines issued to learner drivers in 2015 for not displaying their L-plates have not been paid.
Figures released to Independent TD Tommy Broughan today show that 4,042 fixed charge notices (FCNs) were issued to learner drivers in 2015, 1,974 of which have been paid.
Some 115 of the 217 fines issued in 2014 for the same reason were paid.
Last year 5,609 fixed charge notices were issued to learner drivers who were caught driving without a qualified driver. Some 2,958 of these were paid.
Just 139 of the 251 fines issues for this reason in 2014 have been paid.
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald told Broughan the figures were correct as of 14 January, in response to a parliamentary question.
The Dublin Bay North TD had also requested information on the follow-up numbers of prosecutions for such cases but was informed in the reply there is “no direct electronic link between these prosecutions as recorded on the Criminal Case Tracking System (CCTS) and the FCNs originally issued by An Garda Síochána”.
Broughan noted that gardaí are currently carrying out an operation targeting people using mobile phones while driving, and said road safety needs to be prioritised every day.
“There are so many aspects to promoting road safety and enforcing our laws that a strengthened Traffic Corp is urgently required,” he said.
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