Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The safety of the public is of paramount importance at this time and as in all aspects of the Covid-19 crisis my Department continues to be guided by National Public Health Emergency Team and the relevant national experts in relation to the resumption of services.

My officials and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are currently examining the possibility and appropriate timing of resuming the range of services for which the RSA is responsible, in light of the roadmap recently published by Government and the National Return to Work Safely Protocol, as agreed by  employers and trade unions.

I hope to make further announcements in relation to these issues, subject to satisfactory progress in relation to public health, over the coming weeks.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Road Safety Authority will consider such requests favourably but will require the CPC Training Organisation to contact the CPC Unit directly at www.cpc@rsa.ie.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Road Safety Authority have made allowances for professional Drivers with Driver CPC cards that have expired or that are due to expire and who are prevented from completing training due to the current Covid 19 outbreak.

Drivers who hold a CPC card due to expire (or expired on or after the 26 March 2020) have been granted an extension of a maximum of six months up to the 26th September 2020.  Drivers will be required to complete any outstanding periodic training in advance of the 26th of September 2020. 

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has made allowances for professional drivers with driver CPC cards that have expired, or that are due to expire, and who are prevented from completing training due to the current Covid 19 outbreak.

Drivers who hold a CPC card due to expire (or expired on or after the 26 March 2020) have been granted an extension of a maximum of six months up to the 26th September 2020.  Drivers will be required to complete any outstanding periodic training in advance of the 26th of September 2020. 

My department and the RSA are currently working plans for the gradual resumption of the various statutory functions of the Authority, following on from last week's resumption of Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing, and I expect to make further announcements in coming weeks.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Driver CPC training is classroom based and in keeping with the EU legislation that regulates Driver CPC, each training day is for a minimum of 7 hours duration excluding breaks.  Class size can vary but may not exceed 16 drivers. 

Due to the current situation with Covid-19, training organisations will be required to adhere to Government guidelines on social distancing when reopening their business and organising CPC training courses.  

Many training organisations operate from hotels and other similar venues and have a choice of rooms available to them.  If there is sufficient space in the training room to allow the maximum number of drivers attend while adhering to the social distancing guidelines the maximum number of attendees will be permitted.  This is a decision to be made by the individual CPC training organisations in consultation with the HSA and will vary depending on the size of classroom available to them.     

While the maximum number of drivers permitted per class is 16;  outside of the peak training periods of August/September, the actual number of attendees fluctuates from course to course, with the majority of classes made up of between 8 and 10 drivers.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Road Safety Authority Transport Officers and an Garda Siochana are responsible for the Enforcement of Driver CPC and conduct these as part of their routine roadside inspections.

Driver CPC is promoted by the Road Safety Authority on a constant basis. In addition each of the 95 RSA approved Driver CPC Training Organisations run their own advertising campaigns through their own social and local media.

In the last 18 months the Road Safety Authority have run two very successful advertising campaigns.  The first during summer 2018 in the lead up to the Bus CPC renewal period and again throughout 2019 in the lead up to the Truck CPC renewal period. 

In 2018  the RSA issued approximately 23,000 Driver CPC cards to qualified drivers, and in excess of 33,600 CPC cards were issued to qualified drivers in 2019.  To date this year up to 5,000 CPC cards have been issued. 

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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There are currently no proposals to make legislative changes to the professional driving sector.