Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Transport when he will publish the legislation necessary for rolling out the graduated driving licence programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9609/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Responsibility for driver testing was transferred to the Road Safety Authority in September 2006, under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 477 of 2006). The arrangements in relation to testing and the number of applicants for tests are therefore a matter for that authority.

A recent statement to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport by the RSA may be of interest to the Deputy in this regard and can be consulted on the RSA's website.

One of the actions in the Road Safety Strategy 2007 — 2012 is to legislate for a graduated driver licensing system in the 3rd quarter of 2008. The first step towards this has already been taken in the Regulations made in October 2007 providing for the introduction of a driver learner permit for all new applicants for driver licences.