Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider extending driving licences to five years for persons over seventy years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37236/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do not propose to make the change suggested by the Deputy.  I appreciate that there are indeed people who remain fit to drive for many years beyond the age of 70.  However, there are, in my view, sound reasons for maintaining the current position under which those over 70 must renew their licences every 3 years.

It is a established fact, underpinned by international studies and recognised widely in legislation in other jurisdictions in the EU and beyond, that deteriorations caused by age can have a serious impact on driving ability.  It is equally well-established that the individual affected is often unaware of the fact or degree of the deterioration in their driving skills.  For this reason we have a regime under which applicants for a driving licence who are over 70 must renew their licence every 3 years, subject to medical certification of their fitness to drive.

While the period of 3 years is not an EU requirement, and Ireland does have some leeway in this regard,  I believe that 5 years would be a very long time, considering the risks of deterioration due to age over such a period.  I do not believe it would be in the interests of the safety of the drivers themselves or of the general public to extend the period to 5 years.  I think that 3 years strikes the balance between asking people to renew their licences too frequently and not frequently enough.