The Munster Express recently received figures from the Courts Service that provide an insight into offences that came before the courts in Waterford city and county over the past number of years.
The figures were provided to this newspaper as part of a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 2014.
They provide an insight into bench warrants, sentences imposed under the Misuse of Drugs Act, offences of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, as well as the number of people brought before Waterford courts for driving without insurance.
Bench warrants
A bench warrant is a court order imposed by a Judge that authorises the arrest of someone who fails to appear in court.
Figures provided by the Court Service revealed that there were 424 bench warrants issued at Waterford District Court in 2025. This marked a decrease from the previous two years, where 635 and 536 bench warrants were handed out in the court in both 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The number of bench warrants issued at Waterford District Court had steadily increased before this, with 192 being handed out in 2020, 349 in 2021, and 512 in 2022.
At Dungarvan District Court, 2025 saw the lowest number of bench warrants issued over the past five years, at 59. This was a significant decrease, as 101 were handed out in 2024, and 309 in 2023.
In 2020, just 67 bench warrants were issued in Dungarvan, with this figure increasing to 76 in 2021 and 133 in 2022.
Figures for Lismore District Court, which sits monthly at Dungarvan Courthouse, showed that no bench warrants have been issued at this court since 2022, where six were handed out. There were seven bench warrants issued in 2020, and 18 in 2021.
Sale and Supply of Drugs
Additional figures that were released to The Munster Express under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 illustrate what type of penalties were handed down for offences under Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, which is the possession of a controlled drug for unlawful sale and/or supply.
In 2025, 25 people received a suspended sentence at Waterford District Court for 28 sale and supply offences. This proved to be the most common penalty, as eight people were handed court fines for nine of these offences, two people were given Community Service Orders, and one person received a prison sentence.
Suspended sentences were also the most common penalty for sale and supply offences at Waterford District Court in 2024, where 22 people received a suspended sentence for 23 offences. Across the year, 10 people received a prison sentence, five were handed a fine, four were given a Community Service Order and one person received a prison sentence party suspended for sale and supply offences.
Eight people were brought before Dungarvan District Court for sale and supply offences in 2025, where four were imprisoned, three received a suspended sentence and one person was handed a fine. Three people appeared in court in Dungarvan for sale and supply offences in 2024, where one person was fined, one was imprisoned, and one received a suspended sentence.
The figures showed that only one person appeared at Lismore District Court for a sale and supply offence in both 2024 and 2025, and they were handed a fine.
Sale and Supply Offences – Circuit Criminal Court
The Courts Service provided additional figures as part of the Freedom of Information request which revealed the figures for those who were sent forward for trial in the Circuit Criminal Court for sale and supply offences in Waterford throughout 2024 and 2025.
A total of 26 people were sent forward for trial in the Circuit Court in relation to 44 sale and supply offences in Waterford City in 2025, which is compared to 29 people being sent forward for 47 offences in 2024.
The figures showed that nine people were prosecuted in Waterford Circuit Court for nine sale and supply of drugs offences where the drugs were valued at €13,000 or more in 2025. Six people appeared before the same court for six similar offences in 2024.
One person was sent forward for trial in the Circuit Court in Waterford City in 2025 for unlawfully importing a controlled drug worth in excess of €13,000.
In Dungarvan, a total of nine people were sent forward for trial in the Circuit Court for nine sale and supply offences, with two including cases where drugs were valued at €13,000 or more.
This was an increase from 2024, where four people were prosecuted in the Circuit Court for four offences, with one case involving drugs worth over €13,000.
Driving under the Influence
As part of the Freedom of Information request, The Munster Express also received figures for the number of people who were brought before the courts in Waterford for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in 2024 and 2025. These offences fall under Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act, 2010.
A total of 152 people were prosecuted for 162 offences under Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act at Waterford District Court in 2025, which represents a significant increase from 2024, where 119 people appeared at the court for 125 of these offences.
The figures revealed that within this overall figure, in 2025, 73 people appeared before Waterford District Court for drunk driving, 70 were prosecuted for drug driving and nine people appeared for driving under the influence of an intoxicant, which can include drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both.
Within the overall figure for 2024, 70 people appeared before Waterford District Court for drunk driving offences, 43 appeared for drug driving and six were brought before the court for driving under the influence of an intoxicant.
At Dungarvan District Court, 36 people were prosecuted for 38 offences under Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act in 2025. This marked a decrease from the previous year, where 51 people appeared at the court for 53 offences.
A decrease was also seen with the number of people brought before Lismore District Court for driving under the influence. Ten people appeared at the court for ten of these offences in 2024, which decreased to eight people for eight offences in 2025.
Driving without insurance
The final set of figures that were revealed to The Munster Express by the Courts Service were for the number of people brought to court in Waterford for driving with no insurance in 2024 and 2025. This relates to Section 56 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, and can carry a penalty of up to €5,000, six months imprisonment, five penalty points, or a disqualification from driving for up to four years in some cases.
In 2025, 470 people appeared before Waterford District Court for 501 offences of driving without insurance. This was just a slight decrease from the year before, as 478 people appeared at the same court for 517 of these offences in 2024.
A total of 68 people appeared before Dungarvan District Court for 70 offences under Section 56 of the Road Traffic Act in 2025, which was only a small increase from 2024, where 68 people appeared at the same court for 71 of these offences.
Seven people appeared at Lismore District Court for seven offences of driving without insurance in 2025, which was a decrease from 2024, when 12 people appeared at the court for 12 of the same offences.
Driving under the influence ‘remains stubbornly high’
In response to the figures for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), a Garda spokesperson told The Munster Express that detections of driving while under the influence of an intoxicant remain “consistent and stubbornly high.”
“Up to the end of 2025, Gardaí across Ireland arrested on average one driver every hour, every day for drink or drug driving, which totalled over 8,000 drivers,” the spokesperson said.
“Prosecutions and the outcomes of those prosecutions are matters for the Courts. In the context of DUI and other road traffic offences, the primary role of An Garda Síochána is the enforcement and detection of alleged offences,” the Garda Spokesperson told this newspaper.
The spokesperson added: “There was a 14% increase in drug driving related detections and a 5% increase in drink driving related detections in 2025 compared to 2024. It is important to note that not all arrests for drunk driving result in prosecution. If you are detected by An Garda Síochána at the lower limit, you may be dealt with by way of a Fixed Charge Notice (FCN)”.
In relation to the figures for offences under the Road Traffic Act, the Garda Spokesperson provided the following comment to The Munster Express: “An Garda Síochána has significantly increased detections of uninsured driving, seizing 19,673 vehicles in 2025 (over 1,600 per month) using the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID)”.
“Through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) in patrol cars, Gardaí can instantly verify insurance status via the database, which contains over 4.5 million driver numbers.
“Policing in general, and roads policing specifically, is complex, and simple linear comparison of just one element of roads policing activity does not provide an overall accurate context of roads policing enforcement in general.
“An Garda Síochána would urge anyone with information about motorists driving in contravention of road traffic legislation to contact their local Gardaí, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111,” the spokesperson concluded.
Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
Robyn Power
