Review of fees for road accident reports welcomed

AN Garda Síochána have announced that fees for documentation in relation to fatal and serious injury road traffic collisions have been reviewed.

The fees charged by An Garda Síochána relate to the administrative costs in producing and copying abstracts of Garda reports, copies of witness statements and sketches or maps of the scene of road traffic collisions. 

From January 1, 2017 the following policy will be introduced within An Garda Síochána:

• The introduction of a waiver of fees by An Garda Síochána in relation to collisions where a fatality has occurred.

• In cases of collisions resulting in a serious injury, fees to be capped at a cost of €1,000.

• The standardisation of fees (in respect of non serious injury and material damage collisions).

• In cases where the investigation is ongoing, criminal proceedings are contemplated or initiated, or an inquest has not been completed by the Coroner, an amended abstract report form, containing “appropriate information” as per Section 106(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended will be supplied free of charge.

Dublin Bay North TD Tommy Broughan (Ind) welcomed the result of the review. 

Deputy Broughan had called on Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, to introduce legislation to curtail the level of fees being charged to relatives of persons involved in fatal road traffic collisions.

“I commend Susan Gray and all the other volunteers at Promoting Awareness Responsibility and Care on our Roads (PARC) who have campaigned on this issue tirelessly for eight years now,” said Deputy Broughan. 

“Susan and her PARC colleagues have brought this issue to three Garda Commissioners and I also commend Garda Commissioner Noreen O’Sullivan for making these necessary changes.  

“Earlier this year, we saw that the families of eight people who died in a road traffic collision in Donegal were facing costs of over €10,000 each for copies of the Garda reports.”  

Deputy Broughan added: “Today’s news just proves that we must keep championing changes to the system to bring about improved road safety, implementation of our laws and treatment for those involved in serious and fatal road traffic collisions.”