Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the rise in school transport costs which means that more provisional drivers with little experience are driving on roads here every day; and if he will make a statement on the impact of this change. [35372/09]

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the rise in school transport cost means that more provisional drivers with little experience are driving on roads here every day; and if he will make a statement on the impact of this change particularly in relation to its road safety effects. [35371/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 211 together.

Data available to me indicates that there has, in fact, been a decrease in the number of drivers with learner permits since the beginning of this year. I am conscious of road safety in relation to learner drivers, in particular that they are in the learning phase of driving and extra caution and supervision is required. For that reason I reformed the arrangements for licensing of learner drivers in Regulations made in October 2007. These Regulations replaced the provisional licence with a learner permit and applied consistent rules for all learner drivers in relation to being accompanied by holders of full licences while driving.

All learner drivers must be now be accompanied by a person who holds a full driving licence for at least two years. In addition, learner drivers may not undertake a driving test for at least 6 months after gaining a learner permit, so that they have this period of supervised driving experience before taking the test.