andMr. Moore asked the Minister for Local Government if he has advised local authorities of the procedure which should be adopted when supplying the name of a registered car owner to members of the Garda.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Registered Car Owners.
83.
The Garda, when seeking information from a local authority, about a vehicle, including the name of the registered owner, submit their request on a special form. The form provides for the filling in by the local authority of certain particulars extracted from the authority's vehicle register.
The form is in use since 1938, when local authorities were instructed to complete the forms and to return them to the Garda without delay. The local authorities have been reminded on a number of occasions in the meantime of the importance of completing the forms accurately and of returning them to the Garda with the least possible delay.
Are we to take it then that the information which the Minister for Justice gave the House last week was not in accordance with the facts?
I do not know what information the Minister for Justice gave last week but, if Deputy Tunney would explain what part of it he thinks is not in accordance with the facts, perhaps I can assist him.
The Minister for Justice indicated that, whereas a certain citizen registered his car in the Irish version of his name, the name supplied to the Garda in the pursuit of their duties by the local authority was the translated English version of that name.
My information is that what happened was that the car was originally registered in Westmeath. Before the car was registered, a number for the car was obtained by the garage from the local authority—— this is the usual practice—and the name was given in English by the garage. Therefore, I assume that the name in English was put on the registration book. The owner consequently filled in the registration form in English and signed it in Irish. When he renewed his application in Dublin at a later stage, he filled it in completely in Irish. But, in fact, it would be the original place—it would be a Westmeath registration—and, therefore, it would be from Westmeath County Council that the original information was sought. Very definitely an error appears to have been made because if the gentleman wanted his name in Irish and had so signed it this should have been adhered to but, when it was registered in English, one can understand how things like this can happen.
Question No. 84 postponed.