asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will reconsider his decision to withdraw an operating licence from a company (name supplied) engaged in the minibus business since 1957 unless the operators concerned now undergo a training course to obtain a certificate of competence.
Written Answers. - Minibus Licence.
232.
Under the provisions of the European Communities (Road Passenger Transport) Regulations, 1977, which give effect in this country to EEC Directive No. 74/562, persons carrying on a road passenger transport business with vehicles equipped to carry ten persons or more including the driver must, (subject to certain exemptions), hold a road passenger certificate as from 1 January 1978.
Under these regulations persons who first held a large public service vehicle licence between 1 January 1975 and 31 December 1977 automatically qualified for a road passenger certificate subject, however, to satisfying the requirements in relation to professional competence before 1 January 1980. The undertaking referred to by the Deputy falls into this category, having obtained its first large public service vehicle licence in November 1977. In this connection I should mention that experience gained in the operation of small public service vehicles cannot be considered for the purpose of meeting the professional competence requirements.
The road passenger certificate which has been issued to the undertaking in question by my Department will, therefore, cease to have effect on 31 December 1979 if the professional competence requirements are not satisfied by that date. These requirements may be satisfied by the designation by the undertaking of a manager who has passed the appropriate examination for a certificate of competence.
Examinations for certificates of competence were held in December 1978, June 1979 and further examinations are scheduled to be held in December 1979. I understand that the undertaking concerned has now arranged for a representative to attend a course leading to the examination in December 1979.