The Government's Strategy for Road Safety 1998-2002 acknowledged that pre-driving test training in Ireland was available from private motoring schools, many of whom were enrolled under the voluntary driver instruction register, DIR, scheme. This is an industry led scheme which has received financial support from both my Department and the Irish Insurance Federation. The DIR was encouraged to attain an appropriate quality certification and in this regard additional funding was subsequently provided for the purpose of attaining ISO 9000 certification.
Proposals being developed by my Department for the regulation and quality assurance of driving instruction will involve a test of the competence of individual instructors. A working group comprising representatives of my Department and of instruction interests has formulated the design of the standard that a driving instructor must meet. I am considering what arrangements will be put in place to oversee implementation of the standard in the context of the establishment of the driver testing and standards authority, which will have responsibility for the registration of driving instructors. The Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill 2004, which provides for the establishment of the authority, was published on 6 July 2004 and is listed for Second Stage reading in today's Order Paper.
Regulations will be required to give effect to the proposals for introducing regulation of driving instruction and the position of existing driving instructors will be considered in the context of the drafting of the regulations.
