Michael Healy-Rae
Question:139. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport if cases (details supplied) can be looked at on an individual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50518/23]
View answerTuesday, 21 November 2023
Questions (139)
Written answers
Individuals with strokes (including those that affect the occipital lobes) or other medical conditions that potentially impact their ability to drive must submit a medical report, after consultation with a doctor, to the National Driver Licencing Service (NDLS). The information provided by the medical report is considered by the NDLS when determining if an application for a driving licence or permit is granted or renewed.
Guidelines have been developed to assist doctors and other healthcare professionals write medical reports. The Irish guidelines, ‘Sláinte agus Tiomáint Medical Fitness to Drive Guidelines’, are compiled by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), which has been given statutory responsibility for testing and licencing and which governs the NDLS, in conjunction with the National Office for Traffic Medicine.
The minimum standards of physical and mental fitness required to drive, which the Irish guidelines must meet, are determined by EU legislation and this determines Irish driver licencing law. The EU minimum standards of physical and mental fitness to drive are set out in national legislation in schedule 6 of the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 (SI 537 of 2006).
The guidelines also provide medical practitioners with guidance on reviewing the stability, progression, or improvement in an individual’s medical condition. The guidelines are reviewed and updated regularly, most recently in April 2022, to ensure compliance with emerging evidence in the medical literature and with harmonising standards set by EU Directives adopted into Irish law. The current guidelines can be found on the Road Safety Authority website here: www.rsa.ie/services/licensed-drivers/medical-fitness.