Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Transport if the Road Safety Authority has briefed him on the number of provisional driving licence holders who will be affected by the introduction of the changed learner driver regulations; if the RSA has informed him of the number of provisional drivers waiting for a driving test or who have failed their driving test in the past eight months; if he has received submissions from stakeholders or other transport sector groups in terms of extending the deadline for the introduction of the new regulations; when he will publish the legislation required for the roll out of the graduated driving licence scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23271/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Responsibility for driver licensing and 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 driver testing and licensing, including the provision of information on the numbers of candidates for driving tests, tests conducted, test pass and fail rates, licence holders, are therefore a matter for the Road Safety Authority.

The regulations introducing changes to driver licensing including the removal of the concession whereby a holder of a second provisional licence may drive unaccompanied were made in October 2007. I confirm that, with effect from 30 June 2008, all holders of provisional licences or learner permits must be accompanied by a person who holds a full driving licence for at least two years. I have not received any submission from stakeholders or transport groups seeking to have the implementation date for this requirement extended beyond 30 June 2008.

Following on the changes to the driver licensing laws for learner drivers in October 2007, both I and the Road Safety Authority confirmed that all 122,000 applicants on the waiting list at the end of October 2007 would be tested by March 2008 and that by the end of June 2008 all applicants for a driving test would be able to get a test on demand, that is within a 10 week period. The commitment for March 2008 was met and the Road Safety Authority is confident that the second commitment will also be met.

The first step in a graduated driver licensing system has already been taken in the Regulations made in October last year providing for the introduction of a driver learner permit for all new applicants for driver licences. Further steps in such a system are still under consideration.