Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I will address that matter in a moment but first I will focus on the core issue, as highlighted by Deputy Crowe. The standards applied will be regulated and certified and those providing instruction will be certified and monitored. The question of who owns the company providing the tuition is a different issue. The issue before us is the competence of the individual providing driving tuition and whether he or she has achieved the required standard. Under the Bill, which goes much further than legislation in the United Kingdom, instructors will be required to meet standards. Whereas HGV instructors are not registered in Britain, they will be registered here, which is another step forward.

Driving schools providing driving instruction to learner drivers are not registered in the United Kingdom. It has, however, an approved register of driving instructors similar to the register the road safety authority will establish. On the training of instructors, Britain has a voluntary register — the official register of driving instructor training — of large driving schools which provide training for potential driving instructors. We will go much further because the legislation requires all instructors to be registered and to hold a certificate of competence.

The official register of driving instructor training, known as ORDIT, was compiled in the UK following discussions between the driving standards agency, DSA, and representatives from the driver training industry. It contains a list of establishments which, following inspection by the DSA, have satisfied inspection criteria under the voluntary scheme of minimum training standards. This Bill will go much further.

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