Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Transport the progress he has made in abolishing all exemptions from the requirements for adults to wear seat-belts; and the progress at EU level in respect of children. [32356/05]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Traffic (Removal of Exemption from Wearing Seat Belts by Taxi Drivers) Regulations 2004 removed, with effect from 1 July 2004, the exemption whereby the driver of a taxi, hackney or limousine was not required to wear a seat-belt while driving such a vehicle. The question of the removal of other exemptions will be examined in the context of the legislation to give effect to EU Directive 2003/20/EC amending EU Directive 91/671/EEC relating to the compulsory use of safety belts in motor vehicles.

EU Directive 2003/20/EC requires safety belts to be used where they are fitted. The directive must be transposed into national law by 9 May 2006. Specific measures in the directive relating to children include prohibitions on the carrying in a car or goods vehicle of a child under three years of age unless restrained in an appropriate child restraint system; over three years of age and less than 150 cm in the front passenger seat unless restrained in an appropriate child restraint system.

The directive also provides for the termination of the three-for-two rule, where three children may be counted as two passengers when reckoning passenger capacity of a bus, for buses fitted with safety belts. Proposals to extend the requirements for safety belts to be fitted to all seats in all new vehicles, except for buses used on stage stop routes have been developed at EU level. Following the approval of these proposals by the European Parliament in May 2005 the way is clear for the Council of Ministers to adopt them as directives so that all new vehicles, including school buses, entering into service from a date yet to be settled will require to be fitted with safety belts.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 187: To ask the Minister for Transport the action he has taken to support an EU directive that would set type approval standards for pedestrian friendly vehicle fronts. [32357/05]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Directive 2003/102/EC, relating to the protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users before and in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle and amending Council Directive 70/157/EEC, was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Motor Vehicle Type Approval) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (SI 244 of 2004), the European Communities (Passenger Car Entry into Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (SI 245 of 2004) and the European Communities (Mechanically Propelled Vehicle Entry into Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (SI 246 of 2004).

These regulations require compliance with the requirements of the directive in regard to type-approval and first registration and entry into service requirements for new cars and car-derived vans. Ireland is also fully supportive of legislative proposals at European Council relating to the use of frontal protection systems, such as bull bars, on motor vehicles. Under these proposals tests are being proposed which would require that frontal protection systems are designed in a way that improves pedestrian safety and reduces the number of injuries.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on progress to date in 2005 in preparing licensing regulations to discourage long-term reliance on provisional licences, as promised under the Road Safety Strategy 2004-2006. [32358/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's Strategy for Road Safety 2004 to 2006 states that driver licensing regulations will be amended to discourage long-term reliance on provisional licences. I am considering what amendments should be made in this regard. However, I regard the elimination of the present backlog of applications for driving tests as an important first step.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on progress to date in 2005 in introducing a requirement for motorcyclists with provisional licences to display L-plates. [32359/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's Strategy for Road Safety 2004 to 2006 states that driver licensing regulations will be amended to introduce a requirement that motorcyclists on provisional licences must display L plates. I propose to make the necessary regulations during the currency of the strategy.