Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2022
113. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport the body or authority that established the use of the approved driving instructor check test together and if his Department approved this system as an acceptable form of assessment of approved driving instructors. [31803/22]
View answerUnder provisions set out in S.I. No. 203/2009 - Road Traffic (Driving Instructor Licensing) (No. 2) Regulations 2009 the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is legally required to carry out a check test of an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) every two years at the very minimum. This test takes the form of an observation by an RSA examiner of a lesson given by the instructor to a learner driver and is considered an essential element in the regulation and continuous professional development of driving instructors. An ADI must be able to demonstrate that they are operating to the standard required.
Driving is a complex and multi-faceted skill and instructors shoulder a considerable responsibility in teaching their students to behave safely and responsibly on the roads at all times. It is for this reason that it is imperative that the RSA have a means of ensuring that all instructors maintain the highest of teaching standards in the years after they have completed their initial qualification. It is considered an important part of the very significant progress we have made in reducing the impact of road collisions on our public health services.
