Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 October 2012
216. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport in relation to the learner drivers and their training requirements, his plans to revise the current system of licensing or plans to introduce off-road driver training requirements for learner drivers. [43834/12]
View answerWe are in the process of introducing a Graduated Driver Licensing System (GDLS) in Ireland, which will include nine components developed by the Road Safety Authority and published in September 2010. A GDLS is a stepped approach to the driver learning process which focuses on acquiring experience and skills rather than simply on passing a test.
A number of the GDLS components have already been introduced and include compulsory lessons for learner drivers. Last year I signed the regulations to bring this into effect. Learners must now complete a syllabus of twelve lessons before they are allowed to take the driving test. A lower Blood Alcohol Concentration level applies since last year for learner drivers and those in their first two years of having a full driving licence. Some additional GDLS measures require primary legislation, such as an accelerated penalty point disqualification threshold for learner and novice drivers and the actual defining of a novice driver, which will be included in the next Road Traffic Bill. This will complement the measures already in place. However, I do not have any plans, in the context of GDL, for specific off-road lessons at this time.
