The value of written-off parking fines over the past five years in Northern Ireland total almost £10 million, new figures reveal.
Over the past five financial years, a total of £9.96 million in outstanding parking fines have been written-off. Such penalty charge notices (PCNs) are only written-off when all recovery procedures have been fully exhausted.
An MLA has expressed concern at the "unfairness" of such figures to those who park responsibly and those who pay a penalty when it is issued.
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Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins was responding to a written question from DUP Strangford MLA Michelle McIlveen on a series of parking fine issues.
Ms McIlveen told Belfast Live: "Right across our public services, all Departments are rightly highlighting the pressures they face. In those circumstances the least the public will expect is that efforts are made to collect money that is owed.
"We are seeing issues across other departments where public money is being written off over £6 million in social housing rent arrears and £64.3 million in rates arrears. Parking issues are regularly highlighted by many businesses in towns across Northern Ireland and how it can hinder their ability to attract customers. That is far worse if we see parking fines not being pursued.
"This is a different issue from where a fine has been successfully appealed. It is also unfair to both those people who park responsibly and to those who pay a penalty when it is issued for them to see £1.31 million written off in the last year and nearly £10 million across the last five financial years.
"While inevitably there will be cases where there is no prospect of recovery, it is incumbent on the public sector to ensure that all steps are taken to ensure recovery or to identify the stumbling blocks to recovery and address these.”
A separate question to the Infrastructure Minister revealed that as of January 31, 2025, a total of 63,272 penalty charge notices (PCNs) and moving traffic offences (MTOs) currently remain unpaid - equating to £7.56 million.
The minister said: "The department's PCN recovery rate is currently 85% and my predecessor Minister O’Dowd agreed a number of actions to be taken forward by the Department to help increase the levels of debt recovery from PCNs."
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