(Dublin) asked the Minister for Local Government if Army personnel who have been driving Army vehicles for years, still have to take a driving test on returning to civilian life.
44.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Testing of Army Drivers.
43.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will amend the driving test regulation to exempt from the obligation of submitting to the test persons who have passed the Army driving tests.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 43 and 44 together. Army personnel are exempted from the requirement of holding driving licences only while driving Army vehicles. They are not exempted from that requirement while driving in a private capacity. The rule that a person seeking a driving licence must have held one in the preceding five years or have passed the driving test applies in every case including Army personnel whether serving or retired. I do not propose to make any exceptions to this rule.
Is the Minister aware that an army driver who, through dense traffic in this city, drives upwards of 60 men a day, and has been doing so for some years, has recently failed his civil driving test? Would the Minister have a look into this because I do not think the civil driving test is too difficult, or else the standard in the Army driving school is not sufficiently high? But we have a position now in which a person in the State service has the lives of 60 people in his hands each day going through the busy streets of this city and yet the State maintains, through the inspector of the Department of Local Government, he is not competent to drive even a moped.
There may be many people driving for a considerable time, and still driving, who would fail the test if they had to take it.
Is the Minister saying that the army drivers who drove the lorries during the bus strike in the city are not fit to drive?
Not necessarily; I said that if they are driving a private vehicle, they have to have a driving licence.
Would the Minister look into the particular case which I and I imagine Deputy T.J. Fitzpatrick had in mind to see whether, in the circumstances, a driving licence could be given because, obviously, the man is successfully driving, in very difficult circumstances, daily and it appears ludicrous to withhold from him a civilian driving licence?
I shall arrange to have another driving test conducted if the Deputy gives me particulars.
Is it not a fact that the army drivers are the only drivers on the road who have been taught how to drive? Surely it would be stupid in the extreme to suggest that they must undertake a test before driving in civilian life?
I do not think it is necessarily so; there are other people taught how to drive as well.