Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Transport the person who will sit on the Road Safety Authority's appeal board with respect to assessing the qualifications of driving instructors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15031/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 217: To ask the Minister for Transport the legislative provisions that would allow him or the Road Safety Authority to make it an offence to work as a driving instructor without being registered as an approved driving instructor with the RSA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15032/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 217 together.

Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act 1968 (as amended by section 19 of the Road Traffic Act 2002) provides for the making of regulations in relation to the control of driving instruction, with subsection (2)(g) of section 18 enabling regulations to be made to prohibit the giving of instruction for reward unless the person concerned is licensed to do so. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has given me comprehensive proposals for the registration and regulation of driving instructors, including the establishment and composition of an Appeals Advisory Panel, and with the target operational date of 1 January 2009. The proposals are under consideration, with a view to making the necessary Regulations, and it would not be appropriate to comment on them at this stage.