Garda forced to pull technology that detects uninsured drivers

The Garda has been forced to decommission a key element of a multimillion-euro road traffic enforcement system after it flagged almost every vehicle on the roads as driving without insurance.

The issue has arisen with the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system which cost about €6 million.

It operates with cameras in Garda cars by reading the registration plates of vehicles. It then instantly cross-checks the vehicles for any possible infringement such as the cars’ insurance or tax being out of date, driver being banned or vehicles having been reported stolen.

The system can also detect speeding offences. The database from which insurance compliance is tested is maintained by the insurance industry.

However, last year problems arose when the Garda’s system was continually flagging vehicles as uninsured. After further checks, it emerged the insurance policies on almost all the flagged vehicles were valid.

The insurance-related enforcement facility within the ANPR system was effectively discontinued last year after more than one million vehicles, or half of all vehicles on the roads, were flagged as not being properly insured.

According to Department of Transport documents released to RTÉ under the Freedom of Information Act, the issue arose at a meeting between officials from that department, the Garda and the Department of Justice.

Database issues

A note taken by a transport official and released to RTÉ, read: “Issue with insurance companies not notify of part-payment of cover. Database had to be pulled – members not managing data properly. Getting 1.1 million hits for no insurance – this is not logical.”

Garda sources confirmed the problem to The Irish Times and Garda Headquarters also issued a statement: "An Garda Síochána is aware of an issue in relation to certain insurance-related data on the ANPR system . . . We are working with all the partner stakeholders to resolve the issue; however, it does not impact on roads-policing enforcement.

“To date this year there have been in excess of 6,700 prosecutions instigated for no insurance.”

The system was approved in 2008 when Brian Lenihan was minister for justice.