Results 3,561-3,580 of 9,442 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Penalty Points System (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: If any driver, including a learner driver, is disqualified from driving because of an accumulation of penalty points, once the period of disqualification has been served the penalty points are removed from the driver's record. If a driver is detected by an Garda Siochana driving while disqualified, they face severe penalties under road traffic legislation, including a fine...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Penalty Points System (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: Penalty points do not physically appear on a driver's licence or learner permit; rather they are recorded on the driver's record in the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF).  When a licence or learner permit is renewed, the driver's record is updated on the NVDF, and the penalty points remain on the licence record. Penalty points remain on the licence record for a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Parking Regulations (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Disabled Parking Permit (also known as the European Parking Card or Disabled Parking Badge) is available to people living in Ireland whose mobility is severely restricted, whether they are drivers or passengers.  The possibility of extending the eligibility criteria for the scheme to include people with non-mobility related physical disabilities, or those with...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: At present, a Northern Ireland resident can exchange their UK Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card for an Irish CPC card, but won’t be able to so after 31 December 2020.   A resident of NI working for an undertaking established in Ireland must have an Irish CPC as a UK CPC will not be valid in Ireland after this date.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: It must be understood that a learner permit is not a licence, but a permit to allow a person to drive while learning. The purpose of the driving test is to set out the minimum level of knowledge, skill and competency that a learner must demonstrate in order to become a fully licenced driver.  Until a learner can meet this standard and pass this test, they are not safe to take to our...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Test (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: All Member States of the European Union are required by law to carry out periodic roadworthiness inspections on motor vehicles at regular intervals throughout the vehicle's lifecycle. As part of the National Car Test (NCT) and the Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (CVRT), the items to be tested and the reasons for failing a test for are governed by European legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Coast Guard Service (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: My Department is responsible for the Irish Coast Guard Building Programme which is essentially aimed at ensuring Coast Guard Units along the coast are fit for purpose. The programme is managed through the Office of Public Works. The Greystones project is currently at the second stage of the tendering process. It is envisaged that the contract will be placed in January 2021, with a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: An Irish driving licence can only be issued to a person who is normally resident in Ireland. Normal residence means a place where a person usually lives, that is for at least 185 days in each year, because of personal and occupational ties. If a holder of a UK driving licence is normally resident in Ireland, they will need to exchange their UK licence for an Irish licence. ...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: The National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) resumed services in June, following the closure of the centres due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. All appointments must be booked in advance as it is not possible to facilitate any walk-ins due to the social distancing requirements and in the interest of protecting the staff and customers. This, of course, has led to an increase in the demand...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: The scheduling of candidates’ driver theory tests is the responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) in conjunction with their service provider and as Minister, I have no power to intervene in individual cases. When the Driver Theory Test Service closed due to the latest restrictions, the majority of testing centres had almost full bookings up to end December and some...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (8 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Deputy should be aware that the operation of the driver theory tests is handled by the RSA, under contract, and it is for them to devise the most effective way of how rebookings will be handled. As I understand the situation, following the closure of the Driver Theory Test Service for the duration of level 5 restrictions, all appointments during that time were initially rescheduled...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (9 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: After the transition period (transition period ends 31 December 2020), the UK will no longer be a Member State and so a UK driving licence will not be recognised here. Since 2019, holders of UK licences resident in Ireland have been encouraged to exchange their UK licences for an Irish one before this date.   A person wishing to exchange a UK driving licence for an Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Brexit Issues (10 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Common Travel Area (CTA) is an arrangement between the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland that gives a variety of rights to citizens of those countries. It allows British and Irish citizens to travel freely between the UK and Ireland and reside in either jurisdiction. It also facilitates the enjoyment of associated rights and privileges for Irish citizens in the UK and British citizens in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Driver Licences (10 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: It is not possible to hold both a UK and Irish driving licence. The process of moving from a UK licence to an Irish licence is an exchange programme; the UK licence must be surrendered and exchanged for an Irish driving licence.  This is no more than the obvious corollary that drivers are required to obtain a driving licence in their country of residence, under EU law.  There...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Brexit Issues (10 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: There is no way to establish how many people living in Ireland hold a UK licence; however, the Road Safety Authority estimates that there may be as many as 15,000 people who have yet to exchange their UK licence for an Irish licence before the deadline of 31 December. Driving licences issued by the Member States of the European Union are mutually recognised. Therefore, a holder of an EU...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Driver Licences (10 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: Appointments in National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) centres are available to all who wish to apply for, renew or exchange driving licences.  No distinction is made on the type of application an appointment is booked for, therefore no breakdown is available.  I would like to point out that my Department and the Road Safety Authority have been...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Driver Test (10 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: The scheduling of driving tests is the responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and I have no power to intervene in individual cases. The  Deputy should be aware that the Road Safety Authority cannot schedule applicants for a driving test until the Authority has received the confirmation from the candidate's ADI Instructor that they have the completed 12 Essential...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Brexit Issues (10 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together. EU legislation sets out a number of requirements to be satisfied in order to hold a road transport operator licence, one of which is professional competence. To fulfil this requirement, every road transport undertaking established in Ireland (or in any other EU Member State) must have a nominated Transport Manager who resides in the EU to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Driver Test (10 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: My Department is in constant contact with the Road Safety Authority since the start of the pandemic regarding all of its services, the impact of Covid-19 on those services, and how they can best be maintained in the current circumstances.   As you are aware, car driving tests were first temporarily suspended due to Covid-19 in March 2020. The service resumed, on a gradual basis, in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Driver Licences (10 Dec 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I can confirm that those who obtained their manual driving licence for category B prior to 2013 can have the automatic transmission code (code 78) removed from category C and D driving licences upon request.  There is a cost associated with having a driving licence re-issued.