Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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981. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason persons who received their full licence prior to 1989 are exempt from doing the trailer driving test and persons who passed their driving test after that date are not exempt; if persons that passed prior to 1989 are more qualified than the persons that passed after 1989; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49546/14]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Prior to November 1989, there was a single driver licensing category which covered driving a car and driving a car with a trailer.  In that month, new regulations split this into two categories, one for a car and one for a car with trailer.  The requirement to do a test in order to have the trailer category added to a licence has existed since then.

People who held a full licence before the change were entitled, when renewing their licences after November 1989, to retain the right in relation to trailers.  It appears that some people applied for the car category only, and therefore unintentionally gave up their trailer entitlement.

 In 2013, in response to representations from farming organisations, my predecessor decided, on a once-off basis, to allow people who had held a full licence before November 1989 and had mistakenly surrendered their trailer entitlement to reclaim it.  The time period for this once-off allowance has long since passed and I have no plans to repeat it.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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982. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason it is expensive to do the trailer driving test which is estimated in the region of €500; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49547/14]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The cost of a driver test for category BE – car with trailer – is €85.  This is the same as the cost for a category B (car) test.  

Since 2011, it has been a legal requirement that all candidates for a category B test must complete a programme of Essential Driver Training (EDT).  This was introduced as part of the graduated driver licensing system, and represents an important step forward in raising the level of driving in the country and therefore contributing to road safety.  The regulations governing EDT refer specifically to category B only.  They do not apply to those taking a test in category BE who already have a category B licence.