Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps his Department has taken to address learner drivers who have repeatedly failed their practical driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38170/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​The driver learning process is an essential component in road safety.  It is vital that learners acquire the skills necessary to drive safely on our roads, for their own sakes and for the sake of other road users.

Ireland has over the past number of years introduced a number of elements which together form part of a Graduate Driver Licensing (GDL) system for Ireland.  This is a stepped approach to driver learning which focuses on the acquisition of skills and experience, rather than solely on passing the driving test.  Among elements of GDL are the requirement to undergo 12 Essential Driver Training (EDT) lessons.  Evidence from test results show that learners who entered the system after EDT was introduced, and were therefore required to complete the lessons, have a higher chance of passing the test than those who were in the system before and have not done the lessons.

I appreciate that some people may have repeated difficulties in passing the test.  However, we also have to remember that driving is not a right.  It is a privilege and a responsibility, and it has to be earned by meeting certain standards, which in turn exist in the interest of public safety.