Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Apr 1999

Vol. 504 No. 1

Written Answers. - Driving Tests.

Richard Bruton

Question:

70 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of people on provisional licences; the number on full licences; the waiting time for a driving test; and the plans, if any, he has to introduce an amnesty from a driving test for any category of provisional drivers, particularly those who successfully passed a test in the past but overlooked obtaining the valid issue of a driving licence within the time limit provided by law. [11211/99]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

I refer to the replies to Questions Nos. 31 and 34 of 27 April 1999.

An estimated 371,000 provisional licences and 1,458,000 full driving licences were current as at 31 December 1998. The average waiting period for a driving test is now some 31 weeks. However, applicants who require a test for urgent reasons are being given earlier appointments – about 28 per cent of applicants are tested within 15 weeks.

I have no proposal for a derogation from the requirement to undergo a driving test, which is enjoined by EU as well as national regulations. Numbers of persons having to resit a driving test because of expiry of a certificate of competency or a driving licence are estimated to be very small and would not be significant in terms of overall driving test applications.