Press release
Minister McEntee and Minister Richmond attend launch of Irish Motor Insurance Database
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Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister of State at the Department of Finance Neale Richmond today attended the formal launch of the new Irish Motor Insurance Database.
The Database, which is maintained by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland, will be used by Gardaí to easily identify whether a vehicle is insured or not in seconds.
An Garda Síochána conducted a demonstration of the use of the Database in conjunction with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology near Millenium Park in Blanchardstown, Dublin today to mark the launch of the Database on ‘National Insurance Enforcement Day’.
Speaking this morning, Minister McEntee said:
“The Irish Motor Insurance Database is an important tool for An Garda Síochána to detect and pursue those who drive on our roads without insurance.
“The information sharing between the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland and An Garda Síochána, will play a significant role in improving road safety and I thank everybody involved for their work on developing and progressing this initiative.
“It is great to see firsthand the efficiency and effectiveness of the new technology that Government has invested in for Gardaí – mobile devices, automatic number plate recognition, and information sharing technologies – all of which strengthen the ability of Gardaí to tackle criminality and contribute to the improved safety of our roads and our communities.
Minister of State Neale Richmond said:
“Driving without insurance is not only a crime, it is one that we are all paying for as it increases the cost of insurance for all drivers by up to €35 per premium. Gardaí now have access to the Irish Motor Insurance Database, meaning that they can identify in real time cars driving without insurance. This data sharing between the insurance industry and the Gardaí can be a game chamber in detecting uninsured drivers and will make our roads safer for us all.
“Any initiative that helps to tackle uninsured driving is to be welcomed and I would like to thank An Garda Síochána, the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland and Insurance Ireland for their efforts in bringing forward these new measures. On National Insurance Enforcement Day our message is clear: uninsured drivers will not be able to dodge detection forever so do the right thing and insure your car.”
Under Budget 2024, the Government has committed an unprecedented €2.35bn in funding to the Garda Vote, which includes €155 million for digital capital and IT and €10 million for investment in the Garda fleet. An Garda Síochána are also proactively recruiting to the Roads Policing Units. The Garda Commissioner plans to add 75 Gardaí to Roads Policing this year and a further 75 in 2025.
Every frontline Garda member now has a mobility device, which is essentially a mobile phone that allows them to access a number of specialised Garda apps at the roadside.
These include the ability to issue a Fixed Charge Notice, search for the insurance details provided by the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland, if a vehicle is taxed or not and if a driver is disqualified. These tasks can now be done within moments, without the need to return to the station.
Additionally, GoSafe will provide 9,000 hours a month of monitoring and surveying through the network of speed cameras across 1,566 locations until October 2025. This constitutes an additional 1,500 hours each month than originally specified in their current contract.
All uniform Gardai continue to undertake 30 minutes of high visibility roads policing in each tour of duty, which has resulted in increased detections for mobile phone use while driving, driving under the influence and the number of vehicles seized for no insurance.
Minister McEntee said:
“Road safety is a significant priority for Government and this new initiative is just one of a number of steps we are taking. In the last Budget I secured increased funding for more GoSafe speed cameras and to expand the Roads Policing Unit. The recent decision by An Garda Síochána to ensure that all uniformed Gardaí complete a mandatory 30 minutes of road safety policing per shift will also play a key role in ensuring people are safe on our roads.”