Vol. 426 No. 5
121 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for the Environment if it is the practice that in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 who received an endorsement on his driving licence for three years in 1985, subsequently let his licence lapse and now wishes to renew his licence, that the same endorsement will continue to be applied; and if so, if this practice will be reviewed.
Following conviction for offences under sections 49 and 56 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 the court ordered that this person be disqualified for holding a driving licence for 12 months and further ordered that his driving licence be endorsed with the particulars of his disqualification. Section 37 of the Act requires that, where a person's driving licence has been so endorsed, there must elapse a continuous period of not less than three years or a series of discontinuous periods of not less than five years during which such person has lawfully held a driving licence before that person may be granted a licence free of endorsement. This person held a one year licence from 8 May 1989 to 7 May 1990 and took out a three year licence on 15 April 1991. He will accordingly be entitled to a licence free of endorsement on 15 April 1994.
I have no immediate proposals to amend section 37 of the Act but I will consider the matter in the next general review of road traffic law.
