Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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197. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will lift the restrictions on driver tests to facilitate young farmers who need to have a tractor to drive on public roads during the summer months to draw silage and other farming activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21201/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The current public health emergency has had a profoundly disruptive effect on the driver learning and testing system in this country. I recognise that young farmers are one of many cohorts across all areas of society who have been impacted by the restrictions.

To obtain a category W licence for work vehicles and land tractors, a person must first pass the BW category driver theory test. However, while Covid19 level 5 restrictions remain in place, the Driver Theory Test is suspended and driving tests are available onlyto essential workers.

I fully appreciate the inconvenience this poses, but I must emphasise that this decision has been taken in line with official public health recommendations that everyone in Ireland work to limit the spread of the virus by staying at home in so far as is possible and minimising social contacts.

Any decision regarding the reopening of the service will be determined in consultation with the relevant health authorities.

Officials both in my Department and in the Road Safety Authority are keeping the public health situation under constant review and are working extremely hard to ensure that services can resume as soon as it is safe to do so. The safety of the public is of paramount importance at this time, and in this as in all aspects of the Covid-19 crisis, my Department will be guided by NPHET and national experts.