My Department is currently working with industry stakeholders, other Government Departments and State agencies to develop guidelines for the testing of autonomous vehicles on Irish roads. The guidelines make clear that any vehicles being tested on public roads must obey all relevant road traffic laws, and that tests should be underpinned by a safety plan setting out the safety assurance and risk management strategies in place.
Preparatory work has begun within my Department on a national Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) roadmap and plan. This will set out at a strategic level the considerations associated with the introduction of CAVs onto Irish roads, and the need for future legislation will be explored as part of this work.