Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputies for their positive contributions to the debate. I acknowledge the general welcome afforded to the Bill by Members of the House.

In the course of the debate, Deputies raised issues, some of which directly relate to the Bill and others to road safety in general. The purpose of the Bill is to establish the Driver Testing and Standards Authority whose primary responsibility will be the delivery of the driver testing service. However, I can confirm to the House that consultants engaged by my Department have recommended that the DTSA be given a broader remit to make it a more viable organisation and enable it to better contribute to issues of road safety. I agree with a number of speakers who suggested considering options for a wider road safety remit for the DTSA. This may present an enhanced prospect for integrating and improving road safety functions. I have had numerous meetings with the insurance industry and am confident it would welcome the prospect of integrating and improving road safety functions.

I am advised that the establishment of a separate public sector body to deliver the driving testing service and take responsibility for other functions more appropriate to an executive agency than to a Department is also an opportunity for the assignment of other functions relating to general road safety to the authority. It is proposed that the Bill be amended to include enabling provisions which will allow for the transfer to the authority of additional functions with a bearing on road safety. The functions include the promotion of road safety awareness. The Bill already provides that the authority will have a general duty to promote the development and improvement of driving standards. In this context it is appropriate that road safety education and promotion be transferred to the authority.

The feasibility of transferring the Department's responsibility for functions relating to vehicle standards, much of which derives from EU legislation, is also being considered. It is suggested that some of the detail and technical aspects of this work might be appropriate to transfer to the authority.

It may also be appropriate that aspects of road safety research be transferred to the authority which will effectively have a significant input into road safety through driver training and testing and vehicle testing. Areas relating to road haulage may be appropriate to the authority, as referred to by a previous speaker, my good friend and colleague, Deputy McGuinness. Given the likely remit of the authority, we should consider a change of name for the authority and this was referred to by a number of speakers in the debate tonight, including another good friend of mine on the Opposition benches, Deputy Stanton.

Many Deputies observed that the Bill does not make specific provisions as to the manner in which the authority will carry out its functions. The Bill defines the functions of the authority and provides for an organisational structure within which the authority will operate. It sets out the responsibilities of the chief executive officer who will report to the board and provide that the authority will be empowered to engage in certain commercial activities and to borrow money. Crucially it requires the authority to carry out its functions to certain standards as determined by the Minister of the day. It will be a matter for the chief executive officer and the board to determine how best to carry out the functions assigned to the authority.

Deputy Ryan made a specific reference to the creation of a board to oversee the work of the authority. Section 12 of the Bill sets out specific criteria for the selection of membership of the board, as referred to by Deputy McGuinness. Given the range of functions to be discharged by the authority, the board will have a significant responsibility for giving direction and support to the CEO and staff of the authority. I congratulate Mr. Noel Brett who has been appointed as chief executive officer of the authority and wish him well in his role.

Deputies called for reform of the driver licensing system and the registration of driving instructors. The strategy for road safety 2004-2006 states that driver licensing regulations will be amended to discourage long-term reliance on provisional licences. A range of measures to achieve this goal is under consideration in my Department.

The issue of the accountability of the new authority to the Oireachtas was also raised. The chief executive officer will be responsible for the propriety of the authority's accounts and the economic and efficient use of its resources and will be accountable to any committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas set up to examine its affairs. The Bill provides that the chief executive officer shall have regard to any recommendations of such committee relevant to the authority's functions.

Many of the contributions from Deputies focused on the driving test and the means by which it could be improved. I concur with those seeking enhancement and improvement of the test. The test follows an EU standard and it is similar to the test in the North and in the United Kingdom. It is interesting to note that testing on motorways or night-time testing is not a feature of the test in these islands. Despite this, the UK has a relatively good road safety record when compared with other EU countries.

The purpose of the test is to assess whether a person has reached a certain standard of driving competence. Deputy Stanton stated that passing the test does not mean a person is an excellent driver and ready to take on any situation and this point struck a chord with me. The process of developing further driving skills and experience is ongoing over years.

The issue of variations in the pass rate at different test centres was raised. This is a fact of life and is also the case in other countries. Various reasons have been advanced, such as demographic factors and standards of instruction. The Bill gives the authority the responsibility for the regulation of driving instruction. This will require those in the industry to meet predetermined standards which will cover not only their own ability to drive but will also ensure that those meeting the standard will have the necessary instructional skills to deliver the message to the novice driver. The registration process will benefit driving instructors. Persons taking lessons will have greater confidence in the quality of instruction given and this will lead to better and safer drivers.

Deputy Shortall and others raised a specific issue concerning the treatment of existing driving instructors. All instructors must demonstrate that they have reached the required standard in the interests of ensuring an appropriate standard of instruction applies throughout the country. During the period of transition when all new instructors will be required to undergo appropriate tests, existing instructors who can show they are bona fide instructors will be allowed to continue instructing before undergoing the appropriate competency tests. The length of the transition period and the manner in which the competency of existing instructors is assessed during that period will be considered in the context of the drafting of regulations to require instructors to be registered to give instruction for reward and the establishment of the authority.

Deputy Olivia Mitchell referred to motorcycle accidents and I agree with her that this is an area of concern. Motorcycle riders are especially vulnerable on the roads. The road safety strategy 2004-2006 proposes an implementation of a programme of compulsory initial practical training for motorcyclists. Work is ongoing with financial support being given to the Irish Rider Training Association to facilitate the development of a network of motorcycle instructors which is an essential prerequisite for any programme of compulsory training.

I do not believe there is a need for compulsory training as the instructors are available. I hope more motorcyclists will avail of the existing programmes. As a motorcyclist myself I was recently approached by a noted well-known media personality who, like me, is back motorbiking following a period of years off the bike. He brought to my attention the motorbike course run by Fingal County Council on which I congratulate the council. The Garda Síochána also organises an excellent training course and commercial instructors are also available. Motorcyclists should be encouraged to avail of these courses. A working group has also been established to examine the standards that must apply to such training and how such training might be delivered.

Deputies referred to long waiting times for driving tests. I accept the point that there should be little or no waiting period for a motorist who is ready to take the test to be called for it. That is the service I would like to see in place. My officials in consultation with the Department of Finance agreed a package of measures to reduce the numbers on waiting lists by up to 80,000 by the end of next year. Engagement with unions about the implementation of these measures has commenced. The measures include an additional productivity incentive in the form of a bonus scheme for testers, the details of which have to be finalised in consultation with the staff, the recruitment of additional driver testers as well as outsourcing a block of tests to an outside body. An outsourcing option is necessary to make significant inroads into the backlog of tests within a reasonable timeframe. The outsourcing arrangements will include provisions to ensure that a consistent and high standard of test is delivered. There is no question of allowing standards to slip.

I wish to clarify the number of driving testers employed. There are 117 testers, six of whom were formerly retired. The number is one fewer than at this time last year and compares to 66 testers in 1998. In addition to the testing corps, there is a chief tester and ten supervisory testers.

I was asked about the gender balance among driving testers. Eight of the 117 testers are female. I encourage females to apply for the position of driving tester and there is no barrier to prevent females from joining the driving tester service. When these figures become known, we might be able to encourage more females to join this service.

Deputy Ring asked whether staff from my Department joining the DTSA would retain their Civil Service status. The proposal is to transfer members of staff to the authority with a guarantee that their existing terms and conditions will be protected. I am concerned that the retention of Civil Service status and the consequent alignment of the grading structure in the new authority with Civil Service structures might prove to be overly restrictive on the authority in carrying out its functions, which may require a more flexible staffing structure to apply. Nonetheless, I recognise that staff have genuine concerns that I am prepared to consider with a view to alleviating them in the most effective way possible without compromising the ability of the DTSA to deliver a quality service. I intend the process of setting up the DTSA to be open and transparent and to go forward in the spirit of partnership with all the staff associations.

I do not accept Deputy Ring's characterisation of the legislation and the setting up of the DTSA as a money making racket. Safety on our roads is an extremely important issue and this Bill is a serious attempt to tackle it.

During the debate many Deputies referred to the accident rate among young people. There is no doubt that young people, particularly young males, are over-represented in accident statistics. There are the consequences that young people can under-estimate danger while driving and over-estimate their driving ability and skills. Novice drivers do not have the same level of automatic driving skills as experienced drivers and such skills take time to develop.

A national analysis of young driver accidents in 2000 carried out by the National Roads Authority highlights the scope of the problem. In 2000, the fatality rate was much higher for those aged 18 to 24 than for any other age cohort. The death rate in the age group 18 to 24 years was more than ten times higher for males than for females. This is also reflected in the difficulties facing young people in obtaining motor insurance at a reasonable premium. The most frequent occurring error for young drivers involved in two-vehicle collisions is exceeding the safe speed limit.

There is a perception that provisional licence drivers are more involved in accidents but there is no substantial evidence to support this view. Of the 232,820 drivers who incurred penalty points as of 30 April 2005, only 6% were provisional licence holders. The formation of good attitudes to driving is of particular importance. Accordingly, young people are the target of much effort to promote road safety in Ireland and in other countries.

Deputy Stanton mentioned that two of his children are coming into the league of young motorists and I am in the same class as the Deputy in that respect. I note the responsible attitude to driving not only among my children but among their friends. I have the height of admiration for young motorists today. They seem to be far more responsible than the previous generation in many aspects related to motoring, in terms of——

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