asked the Minister for Local Government if he received details on the 19th October, 1970, concerning the application for driving licence and test of a person (name supplied) who subsequently failed his test; if the applicant is a fully qualified Army driver and the holder of a driver's licence for the United Nations (details supplied); under what circumstances this applicant failed his driving test at Tullamore on 15th May, 1970; if he will conduct an inquiry into the matter in view of the fact that the applicant in question is so highly qualified; and if he will make a general statement in regard to this case.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Driving Test Failure.
117.
I received the Deputy's letter on 19th October, 1970 in regard to the driving test application in question. Other than the particulars supplied by the Deputy, there is no information in my Department as to the applicant's driving experience or his qualifications. The driving test was carried out on 13th May, 1970, and the driver tester who conducted it adjudged that the applicant's driving did not reach the necessary standard. He gave the applicant written notice of the refusal of the application and indicated the driving points taken into account in the refusal.
This notice also incorporated a statement as to an applicant's right of appeal. This right is conferred by the Road Traffic Act which provides that an aggrieved person may appeal to a justice of the district court. I can investigate complaints to see whether there are any defects in the testing scheme which need to be rectified but it is not open to me to reverse the decision in any individual case.
The driving test takes account only of the applicant's knowledge of the rules of the road and his driving competency as shown on test. In fairness to all applicants, no account is taken of past performance, whether good or bad, and for this reason an applicant is not asked about previous experience or qualifications.
I do not want to be unfair to the Minister, but is it not true that an abnormal proportion of applicants fail their driving test?
What does the Deputy mean by "abnormal"?
It is generally accepted that one must take the test two or three times before one gets a licence.
I do not think there is any point in having a driving test unless it is a strict one. The number of road deaths is increasing at an alarming rate. We are obliged to do all we can to try to improve the situation. If by having a driving test we can increase the competence of drivers, then I think it is worthwhile. The test cannot serve a useful purpose unless it is quite strict. Although there may be a substantial number of applicants who fail the test, I do not think we should relax the test in any way or reduce its effectiveness.
Would the Minister not agree that if you allow bureaucracy to run riot, you end up with this kind of situation? The standard of driving is not any better now than it was ten years ago and the Minister is well aware of this fact.
What is the position regarding a disabled person who has lost the use of his feet and who has got a specially-fitted vehicle, possibly from a charitable organisation?
That is a separate question.
If I may reply to the Deputy, we make special arrangements in such cases.
Are any special concessions made?
No. We do not depart from the basic principles applied in the test. One must remember that there is an increasing number of cars on the roads and this is a factor that must be taken into consideration when trying to assess the effects of the measures we have introduced. We are dealing with a situation where the number of vehicles is increasing at a fantastic rate.