asked the Minister for the Environment if there has been a decrease in the number of driving test applications since the implementation of the recent driving licence regulations on 11 October 1979 in view of the stipulation in these regulations that it is no longer necessary for a provisional driving licensee to be accompanied by a qualified licensee while driving.

21.

asked the Minister for the Environment the number awaiting driving tests at present and an estimate of the reduction in this number by virtue of the implementation of the recent driving licence regulations.

I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 20 and 21 together.

The recent regulations, which provided inter alia for recognition of EEC driving licences, for issue of driving licences without driving test in certain cases and for extension of the validity of provisional licences from six months to 12 months, have effected a significant reduction in the rate at which applications are now being received for tests. At the same time an individual survey is now being made of the backlog, which had risen to 60,000 by 11 October last, due primarily to the prolonged postal dispute, in order to determine the number of those applications for which tests will have to be arranged.

The Deputy will appreciate therefore that the total number of tests to be arranged on foot of applications current at a given date will depend on the outcome of this survey, coupled with the intake of new applications.

Would the Minister agree that, since by direct regulation he has decreed that it is no longer necessary for a provisional licensee to be accompanied by a qualified driver, this has led to an idea among provisional drivers that there is no need for them to apply for a full licence or for a test and that this has led to a considerable reduction in the number of people applying for tests?

There is no evidence of that yet. There could not be at this stage. In the case of the previous six months provisional licence a person was not issued with a third one until he proved he had applied for a test. The same procedure will now apply. There should be no question of people getting the idea that they will not be required to have a test.

Would the Minister not agree that, particularly in the Dublin area, at present there is practically no waiting list for driving tests and that driver testers are almost in the position of becoming redundant because nobody is applying for a driving test?

That is news to me. The backlog is definitely going and we shall not have the benefit of the effect of the elimination of that backlog until about the end of December. As far as I know, there is plenty of work for driver testers and none is becoming redundant.

How long does an applicant have to wait now in comparison with the waiting time heretofore? Is the Minister aware that people now applying for a test may be called almost immediately and that in fact they are being called by phone? There is not time to communicate with them by letter.

The whole purpose was to eliminate the backlog, but in my Department we maintain we will not have the work running normally until about December. In other words, we will not have eliminated the backlog until then.

December of which year?

Of this year, and then there will be a delay of probably no more than about four weeks for any test after that.