Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 4

Written Answers. - Driving Licence Endorsement.

Gay Mitchell

Question:

146 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 who had his provisional driving licence endorsed in the year 1988 to last for a period of three years and who did not renew his licence in 1988 but did so in 1991 with the endorsement to apply from this date as the person concerned passed his driving test in February 1994 but has now been told that the endorsement must run for three more years on his full licence since his provisional licence still had seven days to run; and if he will remove this injustice.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. M. Smith)

Section 37 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, requires that an endorsement on a driving licence must remain during a continuous period of not less than three years, or a series of discontinuous periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than five years during which a person has lawfully held a driving licence. This person held a provisional licence from 24 January 1992 to 23 January 1994, which was endorsed, but allowed a period of 11 days to elapse before acquiring a full driving licence on 3 February 1994. Consequently, an aggregate five year period applies in his case and under current law he would not be eligible for a licence clear of endorsement until 3 February 1997. However, the Road Traffic Bill, currently before the Oireachtas, proposes to change the law to provide for a period of three years endorsement in the case of either continuous or discontinuous periods during which a person has held a valid licence. The effect of this in the present case would be that the three year endorsement period would expire on 3 February 1995.