Fewer than 15% of Kerry drivers who are disqualified from driving actually surrender their driver’s licence.
That’s according to figures shared by Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers, in response to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy.
Drivers were warned, however, that Gardaí can still detect and prosecute drivers who continue to drive while disqualified.
Anyone who is disqualified from driving by court conviction will receive a notification of that disqualification from the Courts Service; this notification also tells them they must surrender their driver’s licence or learner permit to the NDLS within 14 days.
If someone is disqualified from driving arising from penalty points, or a fixed penalty drink driving disqualification, they will be notified of that by the Department of Transport – they too must surrender their documents to the NDLS within 14 days.
In 2022, 234 Kerry drivers were ordered by the Courts Service to surrender their licences, but only seven complied with this order.
A further 50 were notified of their disqualification and ordered to surrender their licences for penalty points, and just 16 of these surrendered their licences.
Another 33 drivers were ordered to surrender their licences after receiving a fixed penalty drink driving disqualification, but fewer than five of these were surrendered.
In 2023, 244 notices were issued by the Courts Service, 72 were issued for penalty point disqualification, and 25 for fixed penalty drink driving disqualifications, but just 76 of these 341 motorists actually surrendered their licences.
It means that of the 658 Kerry drivers ordered to surrender their licences after being disqualified from driving across 2022 and 2023, fewer than 15% of them actually surrendered their documents.
The trend has also continued so far this year, with 14 licences surrendered off the back of 88 notifications issued to Kerry drivers.
The Department of Transport, though, says the 2024 figures should be considered highly provisional at this point in time.
Minister of State Jack Chambers noted that gardaí have access to data on the National Vehicle Driver File, and therefore can detect and prosecute a driver who continues to drive while disqualified.
He says this is the case whether or not a licence has been surrendered.
