A District Court Judge has criticised shortcomings in the PULSE Garda computer system.
At a sitting of Donegal District Court this afternoon Judge Desmond Zaidan made his comments as he dealt with a case involving failure to display a tax disc.
The driver being prosecuted was stopped in January 2007 near Donegal town driving a refuse truck. The vehicle was owned by the company he worked for and was not taxed.
Judge Zaidan asked gardaí why the driver and not the company was being prosecuted.
Garda Ignatius McCready told the court that there was a problem with the PULSE computer system which meant that limited companies could not be summonsed. He said he had raised the issue a number of times with civil service officials but as yet the problem has not been resolved.
Judge Zaidan said he was not blaming the gardaí involved, but he said it was not fair that the driver would be prosecuted when the principle offender was the company in question.
Garda Inspector Paul Kilcoyne told the court that the inability to summons limited companies has been there for around six or seven years and has not been dealt with.
The judge said that a private citizen should not have to pay a fine for company that is the 'money man'. He said it was putting it mildly to say it was not right, adding that it was something which was open to abuse.
He struck the case out following an application by the man's solicitor.
