Learner drivers who have not passed their driving test after seven years will be required to take additional driving lessons in order to go back on the road, under new Government proposals.
The minister responsible for road safety, Sean Canney, told RTÉ's This Week programme that he also plans to introduce changes to the law by next month which would require learner drivers to sit a driving test after their third learner permit.
If they fail their test, they will be allowed to obtain a further three learner permits.
However, if they repeatedly fail, and have not passed a test after seven years, they will be treated as a beginner, and will be required to pass a theory test and take 12 lessons before they can go back on the road.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said: "It is intended to require learner permit holders, after holding a permit for 4-years, to sit a driving test before renewing again."
"It is also intended that any application for renewal after seven years of holding a learner permit will be treated as a first learner permit application, and the learner will have to begin the learning to drive process from the start (theory test, learner permit, 12 Essential Driver Training lesson, practical test)."
Minister Sean Canney said: "This is all about safety on the roads, we need to make sure that people are legally driving their vehicles on the roads. The objective of this is to ensure that everybody on the roads is a qualified driver and has the necessary skills to manage, operate and drive a car in a safe manner."
The minister said the changes will not require legislation and can be signed into law as regulations which do not require the approval of the Dáil.
Asked if he thought the proposal was fair, the minister said: "Obviously if you do your test and you fail, and then you get another three learner permits, and you do your test and you fail, you have been on the road for at least six years, and by then people will have their skills honed to the level required to pass the test."
He said if someone fails repeated tests "it speaks to the point, what are they doing wrong, and maybe they do need to go back and get some more instruction and learn the skill better before they take the test again".
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