Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
333. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to review the current regulations which require essential workers who wish to book a driver test to have completed their 12 EDT lessons; if essential workers will be allowed to start and complete their 12 EDT lessons during level 5 restrictions in order that they can book a date for a driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15238/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current public health emergency has had a profoundly disruptive effect on the learning and testing system in this country and my Department is very aware of the frustration experienced by a large cohort of learner drivers, some of them essential workers, who have had to have their training suspended under level 5 restrictions.
Under these current restrictions, Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) may continue to provide lessons, but only in such circumstances where the learner in question has already been scheduled a test date. I fully appreciate the difficulties that this poses for learners who have not yet completed their required lessons and I can assure the Deputy that EDT will resume as soon as it is safe to do so. I must emphasise, however, that this decision has been taken in line with official public health recommendations that everyone in Ireland work to limit the spread of the virus by staying at home in so far as is possible and minimising social contacts.
Officials both in my Department and in the Road Safety Authority are working extremely hard to ensure that driver instruction and driver testing can return to normal capacity as soon as possible.
