Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

175. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has considered legislating for bioptic driving aids such as bioptic telescopes to allow people with a visual impairment to drive on public roads and to obtain a driving licence. [38405/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that the standards for and issuing of driving licences are set out in EU legislation, transposed into national law by Member States.

EU Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences sets out the minimum standards of driving fitness for all drivers, covering medical conditions that affect driving and setting out restrictions on the ability to hold a licence. Member States may, if they choose, apply higher standards in their own jurisdictions.

The minimum standards of physical and mental fitness required to drive in Ireland are set out in schedule 6 of the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 (SI 537 of 2006).

Individuals with visual or other medical conditions that potentially affect their ability to drive must submit a medical report, after consultation with a doctor, to the NDLS. The information provided by the medical report is considered by the NDLS when determining if a driving licence or permit can be granted or renewed.

Guidelines, ‘Sláinte agus Tiomáint Medical Fitness to Drive Guidelines’, have been developed to assist Irish doctors and other healthcare professionals to write medical reports and they provide guidance on reviewing the stability, progression, or improvement in an individual’s medical condition. They are compiled by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), which has statutory responsibility for testing and licencing and for the National Driver Licencing Service (NDLS), in conjunction with the National Office for Traffic Medicine. 

The Guidelines are reviewed and updated regularly to ensure compliance with emerging evidence in the medical literature and with harmonising standards set by EU Directives adopted into Irish law. The most recent update, in April 2025, may be found at www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/slainte-agus-tiomaint-medical-fitness-to-drive-guidelines-2025.pdf?sfvrsn=2855c887_3

The current Guidelines note that bioptic telescope devices are not accepted for driving by the NDLS.