Vol. 429 No. 4
92 Mrs. Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment if he will approve the issue of a driving licence on foot of a certificate of competency to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford as he was unaware of the two years validity of the certificate and he needs his full licence urgently for his employment.
Article 26 (3) (a) of the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations, 1989, establishes the period of validity of a certificate of competency as two years after the date of issue and this is clearly stated on each certificate. Article 29 of the same regulations requires that an application for a driving licence must be accompanied by a certificate of competency save in circumstances which do not apply in this case. This requirement cannot be set aside in individual cases. In the case of the person in question, a certificate of competency was issued on 8 February 1991 and it is not now valid. If he wishes to take a further driving test, I will on request make the necessary arrangements to have this carried out at an early date.
