Question
127. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 104 of 27 May 2015 regarding Parliamentary Questions Nos. 273 and 275 of 30 September 2014, Question No. 350 of 10 February 2015 and Question No. 108 of 20 February 2015 outlining the statistics on non-surrender of driver licences by disqualified drivers, which showed that 1,286 drivers were prosecuted in 2013 for driving while disqualified, 1,373 prosecutions were initiated in 2014, 20,315 drivers were prosecuted in 2013 for driving without a licence, and 19,968 drivers were prosecuted in 2014, the penalties these prosecuted drivers received in court if convicted of these offences; if she has this information to hand; if it will be made available to this Deputy prior to the summer recess; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27878/15]
Answer
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): I am informed by the Courts Service that the information sought by the Deputy is not available in the format requested.
However, in order to be of assistance, the following tables provide data on the number of defendants who had cases listed in court for the offences referred to by the Deputy, where the particular offences were disposed of in Court in 2013 and 2014. As this is a report of outcomes, a defendant could be disqualified, fined and imprisoned on one offence and they will appear below 3 times.
Table A - Driving while Disqualified
Number of Defendants - Driving while Disqualified
| Outcome | 2013 | 2014 |
| Community Service Order | 58 | 50 |
| Dismiss | 12 | 28 |
| Dismiss Probation | 2 | |
| Disqualification | 291 | 283 |
| Fine | 157 | 127 |
| Imprisonment | 116 | 112 |
| Imprisonment Part Suspended | 3 | 2 |
| Imprisonment Suspended | 147 | 130 |
| No Order | 13 | 11 |
| Peace Bond | 4 | 1 |
| Poor Box | 1 | |
| Probation Order | 15 | 23 |
| Strike Out | 255 | 272 |
| Strike Out Not Served | 309 | 285 |
| Sent forward for Trial | 1 | 2 |
| Taken into Consideration | 346 | 314 |
| Withdrawn | 32 | 42 |
| Total | 1,762 | 1,682 |
| Note Overall Defendants | 1,117 | 1,104 |
Table B - Driving without a Licence
Number of Defendants - Driving without a Licence
| Outcome | 2013 | 2014 |
| Community Service Order | 34 | 31 |
| Dismiss | 201 | 230 |
| Dismiss Probation | 79 | 43 |
| Disqualification | 187 | 152 |
| Fine | 2,402 | 2,751 |
| Imprisonment | 103 | 84 |
| Imprisonment Part Suspended | 1 | 4 |
| Imprisonment Suspended | 62 | 56 |
| No Order | 75 | 47 |
| Peace Bond | 7 | 2 |
| Poor Box | 63 | 26 |
| Probation Order | 23 | 36 |
| Strike Out | 7,310 | 7,843 |
| Strike Out Not Served | 5,758 | 5,029 |
| Sent forward for Trial | 1 | |
| Taken into Consideration | 2,844 | 2,896 |
| Withdrawn | 878 | 820 |
| Other | 6 | 5 |
| Total | 20,033 | 20,056 |
| Note Overall Defendants | 17,575 | 17,431 |