Vol. 536 No. 2
349 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will give a brief chronology of the establishment of the new test for provisional licences, including when the idea was first mooted and the way in which it developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14099/01]
EU Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences requires applicants for driving licences to undergo a theoretical test of driving knowledge in addition to the practical driving test. The Government strategy for road safety, 1998-2002, provides for operation of the test separately from the practical driving test and for its conduct by local authorities in connection with first applications for provisional licences. The intention was that the test would be a written paper based test, an approach subsequently modified in favour of an IT based test to be operated on a public private partnership basis. A prior information notice advising of the upcoming tendering process was published in January 2000. The notice seeking tenders was published in the EU Official Journal in April 2000 and notification of the tendering process was also published in the national press. This process was completed with the signing of the contract on 24 April 2001 with the suc cessful tenderer. Driver theory testing will now commence on 11 June, 2001.
