Jump in seizures of uninsured cars; majority of Cork seizures in city 

Almost 1,600 uninsured cars were seized in Co Cork in the 12 months to October 2025, with more than half of that number detained in the city.

Figures from An Garda Síochána show an increase across the city and county of 4% on the previous 12 months, compared with a national increase of 10%.

Between the start of October 2024 and the end of September 2025, some 1,595 uninsured vehicles were seized in Cork city and county, with 848 detained in the city and 747 in the county.

Over the previous 12-month period, from October 2023 to September 2024, 1,535 uninsured cars were detained in Cork, with 833 in the city and 702 in the county. Nationally, 20,093 uninsured vehicles were seized between October 2024 and September 2025.

This represents a marked increase on the previous 12-month period, October 2023 to September 2024, which saw 18,375 vehicles detained.

Changes to law in 2025

Garda figures for Q4 of 2025 are not yet available. However, broken down on average quarterly figures, the numbers appear to indicate a jump in seizures over the first three quarters of 2025, in the time since the introduction of a new legal requirement for motorists to provide their driver numbers when applying for insurance.

Over the initial nine months from the start of 2025, when insurers were first required to record driver numbers on the national insurance system, 15,745 uninsured vehicles were seized, an average of 5,248 vehicles per quarter.

Over the whole of 2024, a total of 19,789 uninsured vehicles were seized, a quarterly average of 4,947.

If the quarterly average for the first three quarters of 2025 — 5,248 uninsured vehicles seized — was sustained in the final quarter of 2025, then the final figure would hypothetically be 20,992, an increase of 6.1%.

The change to the law has strengthened the motor insurance database, allowing gardaí using automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) technology to instantly verify cover at the roadside.

This makes it considerably more difficult for uninsured drivers to avoid detection, with penalties including fines, penalty points, and court appearances.

Paul Kavanagh, executive director at McCarthy Insurance Group, said that because gardaí now have access to ANPR and the national insurance database, it was very likely they would seize greater numbers of uninsured cars.

“The database is not complete as of yet, there are 4.2m drivers on it, and there are more to go on it, the likes of commercial vehicles and agricultural vehicles are only going on it as we speak, so by the time that is complete, I reckon that figure is only going to get bigger,” said Mr Kavanagh.