Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1958 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report - Appropriation Accounts 1956 - 1957

APPENDIX VII.

GARDA SÍOCHÁNA CARS: TRAVEL IN SIX COUNTY AREA— INSURANCE AND DRIVING LICENCES

Secretary,

Committee of Public Accounts,

Further to my attendance at the meeting of the Committee on the 20th March, 1958, I enclose, as arranged, a note on the Insurance of Garda cars which are used for travel in the Six Counties and on the issue of driving licences to drivers of these cars.

(Signed) THOMAS J. COYNE,

Accounting Officer,

Department of Justice.

19 April, 1958.

APPROPRIATION ACCOUNTS, 1956-57.

Vote 30—Garda Síochána

Insurance of Garda cars travelling in Six Counties.

Insurance of official cars for travel in the Six Counties was first sanctioned by the Minister for Finance in 1937, following a prosecution of a Garda who was involved in an accident in County Armagh the previous year while driving an official car. He was fined £1 and 3/- expenses for not being insured against third party risks. It has been the practice since then to insure Garda cars which are used for travel in the Six Counties. At present the following cars are insured:—

Detective Branch cars at Letterkenny, Monaghan, Sligo, Dundalk and Dublin Castle; three cars at depot and three district patrol cars at Buncrana, Ballyshannon and Carrickmacross.

The current premium for these cars is £61 19s. 0d. In addition, an annual premium of £28 is paid to cover journeys made by Ministers’ cars through Six-County territory. This brings the total cost of insurance to £89 19s. 0d.

Driving Licences.

Up to 7th August, 1957, it was necessary for persons travelling in the Six-Counties to be in possession of a driving licence valid there. Since that date, however, visitors who have a driving licence from their own country, or an International driving licence, are exempt from the obligation to procure a Six-County driving licence. This was provided for in the Motor Vehicles (International Circulation) (Road Traffic) (Northern Ireland) Order, 1957—S. R. O. 113 of 1957.

A similar concession was granted in May, 1955, to visiting motorists to this country under the Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (International Circulation) Order, 1955 (S.I. No. 94 of 1955).