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MORE THAN HALF a million people had penalty points on their driving licences this year.
Data released by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) shows that a total of 551,245 people had points on their licences on 30 September 2023.
This represents an increase of 8,156 from last year, when a total of 543,089 people had points on their licences on 30 September 2022.
Similar to last year, the highest numbers were seen in some of the most highly populated areas of the country – Dublin (116,650 people) , followed by Cork (60,917) and Galway (28,290).
The counties with the lowest number of drivers with penalty points were ones that had some of the country’s lowest populations – Leitrim with 3,282 points, Longford with 5,153 and Sligo with 5,981.
46,878 of the people with penalty points placed on licences in the period covered were foreign licence holders.
Essentially, a penalty point is a formal reprimand by An Garda Síochána endorsed on a person’s driving licence to show that they are guilty of a specific driving offence. Such offences include speeding, breaking red lights, holding a mobile phone while driving and driving without insurance.
Here’s a county-by-county breakdown:
The information provided by the RSA also gave a breakdown of the number of penalty points drivers had on their licenses.
Most drivers included in the list had three penalty points (394,266), while 36,809 people had two points and 59,346 had six points.
Overall, 16,884 drivers had seven or more penalty points. A total of 895 drivers across the country had 12 points.
Being issued with 12 penalty points results in disqualification for six months, while novice and learner permit drivers face disqualification if they receive seven points on their licence.
The figures give a snapshot of penalty points in Ireland, as they show the number of penalty points drivers in each county had on 30 September.
As penalty points stay on a driver’s licence for three years, these points could have been given at any stage over the past three years.
It was announced in October that the number of penalty points for motorists committing traffic offences are to increase on Bank Holidays under new proposed legislation.
The new Road Traffic Measures Bill 2023 will allow the number of penalty points to increase during specific times when road safety risks are higher.
Data from Ireland has shown a higher number of road deaths and serious injuries occur during bank holiday weekends, with a total of 46 fatal or serious injuries taking place over the February, June and August bank holiday weekends this year.
In the same period, over 10,000 motorists were caught speeding and 340 people were arrested for drink-driving.
A full list of offences which can result in penalty points can be found here.
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Say goodbye to the Golden Goose.
The problem here is that you can’t control what the other gov’t going to do. Our corporation tax thing is based on shakey ground as a result. And I’m not exactly sure of the figures but it’s a good few jobs relying on our tax advantage. The EU is constantly sniping on about it. What’s needed is good honest indigenous employment, we can’t afford to have it skewed the way it is, could end up in trouble again
It would help a lot – most of all the Irish people – if the government taxed companies at 12.5% and not 2.5%.
Apple paid about $715 million in corporation tax on foreign profits of $37 billion in fiscal 2012.
That is a meagre 1.9% in tax – more than 10% below the effective rate which Irish governments claim.
What multi-nationals do not pay in tax, we do. The joke is on us.
Can someone clarify for me? Closing the loophole here in Ireland does not mean us changing our corporate tax rate does it? Or does it? im still confused .
Our corporate tax rate stays the same.
Closing the loophole on our side means that they can’t move their money again to avoid taxes.
Hi Catherine, Ireland’s corporate tax rate isn’t affected – the US is trying to close loopholes which allow companies with most of their operations there to shift money overseas without paying tax. But if it works, it would mean US companies are less likely to try an “inversion” to a country with a low corporate tax rate like Ireland.
Thank you both for that. Much appreciated
Thank you Peter. The article was pretty clear and an easy to be honest . It was just me needing to double check . :)
The word inversion is makey uppy. These companies are exercising their right to move off shore. No administration is going to outlaw that no matter how much spin they put on it. The most the US can do is add yet another tax on top of their higher corporate tax rate and that is doubtful too. Nobody is breaking the law and no one is likely to change the law much either. Nothing to see here, move on!
@pat. So I don’t understand why they were fined for moving the tax base to Covidien if the US Govt can’t do anything about it? Can you explain plse?
While i disagree with companies abusing tax systems here in Ireland and abroad attention should also be drawn to the inefficiencies in the IRS tax system in the USA and the Americans should stop pointing jealous fingers at other countries and reform their own tax system for companies which is at present punitive
Problem here is US rate of Corporation Tax is way too high. Tell BO to cut his rates and the problem will sort itself out
The bottom line is the companies will push down wages and benefits for the workers. The profits will have to be attractive to the shareholders.
So buy some shares.
The only issue with the Irish Corporation Tax is that a company registered in Ireland for Corporation Taxation had no domical residence for tax purposes, thus leading the to Double Irish tax structure, where one Irish company is tax resident in Ireland and the other Irish company is tax resident in Bermuda and they can transfer money between each other as US Transfer Pricing Rule are not included in Irish Tax Law.
I am nearly sure that Michael Noonan in last years budget speech addressed this by stating that ALL Companies registered in Ireland would have an Irish Domicile for tax purposes.
In addition, if the US are so concerned about this they should use a carrot instead of a stick approach to corporation tax and reduce nominal rate from 35% to 25%.
have your say