Results 5,081-5,100 of 9,059 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Driver Theory Test has not been deemed to be an essential service under Level 5 restrictions. The service will remain closed while level 5 restrictions remain in place. No exceptions will be made.  While I fully appreciate the inconvenience this poses, I must emphasise, that this decision has been taken in line with official public health recommendations that everyone...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Tests (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Government decision of 20 October 2020 affirmed that any testing model implemented for international travel should not impinge on HSE testing capacity. In light of this, the State Airports facilitated the location of private testing providers at Cork, Shannon and Dublin Airports. The testing facilities in question are open to any member of the public...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Driver Licensing Service (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Driving licence renewal packs are generally issued approximately one month before renewal date. The last renewal packs for driving licences were issued in early January for driving licences expiring in February. A driving licence extension was announced on 24 February 2021 therefore renewal packs for driving licences were not issued for the month of March. The extension will apply to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

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.  Due to suspension of driver testing services in the first 2020 lockdown, along with the health protocols since resumption of service and the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Tests (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Ireland's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and international travel is determined by Government taking account of expert public health advice. A range of mitigating measures have been put in place on aircraft and at the airports with the objective of protecting public health. Specific sectoral protocols for travel by air and sea were developed in consultation with the public health...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The operation of the NCT and Driver Testing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), and as such the RSA, and its service providers, are responsible for the health and safety of staff under health and safety legislation, including assessments of their various functions, and developing safety protocols to ensure the safety of their...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: My Department had previously requested that the Road Safety Authority, as the body legally responsible for the driver theory test, examine whether theory tests can be taken on line remotely and what is required to do so.  Remote theory testing has been trialled, during the months of December and January, on a pilot basis for those taking a theory test for trucks and buses. The pilot...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: There is a distinction between motorists with a foreign driving licence visiting Ireland and those living in Ireland. For non-residents, currently under the Convention on Road Traffic 1949 (Geneva Convention), drivers from Contracting States carrying a valid driver’s licence can drive on each other’s roads for up to a year when visiting. Residents in Ireland must have...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The driving test service is not currently operating as normal due to the impact of Covid-19. Tests are only available, under Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions, to those involved in the provision of essential services. RSA driver testers are undertaking driving tests in extraordinarily difficult conditions in the current Covid19 environment. The driving test is conducted in an enclosed space...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) are not employed either by my Department or the Road Safety Authority. Individual instructors and  schools function as entirely independent private operators and neither my Department nor the Authority can dictate their work conditions or how they choose to run their businesses. It is up to each instructor...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Under Covid19 Level 5 Government restrictions, candidates can attend their scheduled driving test appointment provided they are involved in the provision of essential services or essential retail outlets. Details on what is included in the list of and can be found at  The Road Safety Authority has advised it has set up a dedicated webform for essential workers at...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The scheduling of candidates’ driving theory tests is the responsibility of the Road Safety Authority and I have no information on individual cases. The Driver Theory Test has not been deemed to be an essential service under Level 5 restrictions. The service will remain closed while level 5 restrictions remain in place.  While I fully appreciate the inconvenience this...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Accidents (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Provisional data gathered by An Garda Síochána and published by the Road Safety Authority point to a total of 132 road fatalities in the 12 month period from the beginning of March 2020 to the end of February 2021. These figures show a decrease as compared to the equivalent 12 month period immediately prior to the imposition of public health...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is the competent authority in relation to aviation safety regulation, including for drones. The IAA is aware of ongoing issues at certain racecourses in relation to drone activity and has indicated that, if it is notified of such issues, an IAA inspector can be present at the race meeting to coordinate with An Garda Síochána concerning...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Authority (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: As this is an operational matter for the Road Safety Authority I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the Authority for direct response. I would ask that he contact my Department if no reply is received within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: A further extension to the expiry dates of driving licences was introduced from March, following the new revision to the relevant EU legislation, which was made in response to the continued disruption caused by Covid-19 to driver licensing services in Ireland and across the EU. The extension will apply to different groups of licence holders, including those who benefited from extensions...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The recent extensions to the validity of driving licences was granted under EU Regulation 2021/267 and are recognised across all EU Member States. A driving licence can not be renewed more than 3 months before the date of expiry of the licence. A licence due to expire in June 2021 will now have a new expiry date in April 2022.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Vehicle and Driver File (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: My Department through the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) maintains a record of the ‘registered owners’ of motor vehicles. Where a vehicle is being exported out of the State and being registered in another country, the owner is required to notify the Department of same and the vehicle is marked as exported on the NVDF. The records on the NVDF show that no such...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: As the Deputy will be aware, from early in the Covid crisis, the Government put in place a broad range of unprecedented supports to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic on business, including a wage subsidy scheme, grants, low-cost loans, a commercial rates waiver and deferred tax liabilities.  Irish airlines and airports have availed of over €200 million through these...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Government has put in place a range of supports for businesses, including those in the aviation sector. The supports include the wage subsidy scheme, alleviation of commercial rates, deferral of tax liabilities, the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme, the Credit Guarantee Scheme, and the SBCI Working Capital Scheme. As regards supports specifically targeted...