Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has told the Dáil it would have been unfair to provisional licence holders to proceed with the Road Safety Authority's controversial changes in regulations.
Mr Ahern told Enda Kenny it was clear from public reaction that more time was needed for the changes, which he insisted would affect 430,000 drivers.
However, Mr Ahern added that some drivers were on their 20th provisional driving licence and had never even applied for a driving test.
Some 40,000 drivers have had five or more such licences.
Under the new regulations, everybody would have to do the test.
The Fine Gael leader had earlier described the Government's handling of the affair as a 'monumental fiasco'.
