The Donegal based road safety organisation PARC is urging the Road Safety Authority to address the issue of having driving disqualifications in Great Britain and Northern Ireland recognised in the Republic.
There is mutual recognition of driving bans between the two jurisdictions, meaning that imposition of a ban on one side of the border will lead to the imposition of a ban by the courts on the other side. However, there can be long delays in the process.
Figures released to PARC recently show that so far this year, there have been 40 cases before the courts. Of those, five have been affirmed, 24 have proceedings still underway, and in eight cases, the disqualification expired before the proceedings ended.
PARC founder Susan Grey says this raises serious questions:
