The first report with which we have to deal is an amended proposal for a Council Directive on motor vehicle driving licences. Many of the Members present will recall that we discussed this whole situation at considerable length at our sub-committee meetings. As you know we had an original proposal about which we had many reservations and doubts and now there is a revised proposal. Very briefly, the revised proposal is to the effect that national licences are not going to be abolished and the minimum age for a Community licence is to be maintained at 18 years for five years.
The Commission is going to carry out a survey before the 1st January, 1980, into accidents which involve 17 and 18 year old drivers so that a final decision can be reached on the minimum age for driving licences. From the point of view of this country, a very important element in the new proposal is that the minimum age for agricultural tractor drivers is to be fixed at 16 years. That is actually a year under our existing age limit, which is 17 years.
We, in this Committee, have raised a very important query about mopeds. As Members know, we have provision for licences for mopeds while the Community does not propose to have licences. We want to inquire as to how that affects us. Does that mean that so far as mopeds are concerned an Irish citizen, an Irish resident, will have to have a licence whereas a person coming from a member country into this country may proceed to use a moped without a licence? If that is the situation we would not look upon it with any great favour. So we have raised that query. Otherwise, I do not think there is much to be said about this proposal at this stage. Does anybody wish to raise any point on it?
