DUBLIN, Ireland - Following the official signing of the data sharing agreement between the two organizations, the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) has begun to provide motor insurance details to An Garda Sochna on a daily basis.

The Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) will now provide details for three million vehicles and five million drivers every day as part of efforts to identify vehicles driven illegally without insurance.

According to MIBI research published earlier this year, Ireland had the second-highest level of uninsured driving in the EU in 2021, with the number expected to rise further in 2022, reaching nearly 188,000 uninsured vehicles, or one in every 12 private vehicles in use across the country.

Driving without valid motor insurance is illegal on Irish roads. The penalties for driving without valid insurance in Ireland include An Garda Sochna having the authority to seize the vehicle on the spot, as well as other penalties such as an automatic court appearance, five penalty points, and a fine.

An Garda Sochna will now receive comprehensive insurance records every night as part of the agreement, providing a real-time picture of the insurance details for every private vehicle in the country.

An Garda Sochna will now have access to data such as the insurance policy holder's name and address, the insurance policy number and validity dates, the vehicle registration number covered by the policy, as well as named drivers included on the insurance policy and the date of birth of drivers.

This means that if a vehicle's insurance expires, the Gardai will have access to information containing that information.