Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for a very pertinent question and for his consistent advocacy for drivers on the driving test issue, particularly during the Covid situation. The Minister of State with responsibility for road transport, Deputy Naughton, has approved the proposal to raise the age for the mandatory provision of a medical report with licence applications to 75. Implementation of the proposal requires a range of legislative and operational changes. Initial draft regulations were forwarded to the Road Safety Authority, RSA, for observation. It is anticipated that these will be sent to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, OPC, shortly. Other regulations such as those determining fees may also need amendment. In addition, the RSA is revising its operational procedures to accommodate the change. At this stage, the division is currently working towards a 1 December commencement date, although this is dependent on no significant issues arising. As the Deputy knows, as part of the provisions made due to the Covid-19 pandemic and to ease the burden on medical services, the requirement for persons of 70 years of age or older to submit a medical certificate was removed. The Deputy knows the background to this. We are making progress on some of the issues he has raised.

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