Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
316. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if he has considered postponing, deferring or altering the delivery method of CPC courses for lorry, coach and bus drivers in view of Covid-19 restrictions; his plans in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18485/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA further extension to the expiry dates of driver CPC qualifying cards and the time limits for the completion of periodic training has been introduced in response to the continued disruption caused by Covid-19 in Ireland and across the EU.
The extension applies to different groups of card holders including those who benefited from extensions in 2020.
- Any CPC holder, who has not already renewed, and whose CPC card expired between 1 February 2020 and 31 May 2020 will have a new expiry date of 1 July 2021.
- Any CPC holder, who has not already renewed, and whose CPC card expired between 1 June 2020 and 31 August 2020 will have thirteen months (which includes the previous extension) added to their expiry date. By way of example a CPC card which expired on 31 August 2020 will have a new expiry date of 30 September 2021.
- Any CPC holder, who has not already renewed and whose CPC card expiry date is between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021 will have an extra ten months added to their expiry date. By way of example a CPC card which expires on 30 June 2021 will have a new expiry date of 30 April 2022.
Currently, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) does not facilitate on-line Driver CPC training. EU Directive 2003/59/EC which introduced Driver CPC was updated in 2018 by EU Directive 645 of 2018, and while the amended directive allows for the use of ICT tools such as e-learning and blended learning as part of CPC training, a substantial amount of the training will be required to be completed in an approved Driver CPC training centre.
The RSA believes that delivering some part of the training online is the way forward and it is their intention to consult with the industry, including all Driver CPC training organisations to establish how training can be enhanced and improved within the scope of the opportunities provided for in the EU legislation. It is hoped that this review will start in 2021.
