Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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137. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if learner drivers who ignore their driving ban and continue to drive and offend have the seven penalty points removed from their permit at the end of their disqualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41301/20]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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If any driver, including a learner driver, is disqualified from driving because of an accumulation of penalty points, once the period of disqualification has been served the penalty points are removed from the driver's record.

If a driver is detected by an Garda Siochana driving while disqualified, they face severe penalties under road traffic legislation, including a fine of up to €5,000 and/or 6 months' imprisonment.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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138. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if penalty points are automatically carried over to their next permit or driver licence in cases in which a learner driver with penalty points renews their learner permit or obtains a full licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41302/20]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Penalty points do not physically appear on a driver's licence or learner permit; rather they are recorded on the driver's record in the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF).  When a licence or learner permit is renewed, the driver's record is updated on the NVDF, and the penalty points remain on the licence record.

Penalty points remain on the licence record for a period of three years.  The period of three years that must elapse will not include any period where the licence is out of date or where the driver is disqualified from driving because of another offence.