New rules on penalty points look set to be introduced in Ireland

It is due to be discussed by the Cabinet on Tuesday.

The Government are believed to be considering introducing a change to the penalty points system in Ireland in an effort to prevent motorists from avoiding a conviction in court. According to the Irish Examiner, the Cabinet will discuss a measure that would allow motorists who are summoned to court for not paying a fine to pay an increased fine in order to avoid appearing in court. The introduction of the measure is designed at cutting down on the thousands of motorists who avoid penalty points every year; according to Court service figures, less than 25% of almost 150,000 drivers who appeared in court between January 2013 and March 2015 ended up with a conviction. Motorists commonly claim never to have received notices for penalty points, but giving them the option of paying an increased fine to avoid being summoned to court would eliminate that excuse. Justice Minster Frances Fitzgerald, Transport Minister Shane Ross, and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Pashcal Donohoe are believed to have been working on the measures and they will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.