asked the Minister for the Environment if he has had communications from persons (details supplied) of the Institute of Irish Highway Education regarding the granting of full driving licences to large categories of people who have not received adequate training, if so, if he proposes to recognise the Institute of Irish Highway Education and formalise the position of the training of driving testers and recognition of driving schools in this country and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I have had no approach from an organisation of this name on the matters referred to.

Has the Minister not received considerable correspondence from such an institution in the names of the persons as supplied in my question? Part of my question is to ask the Minister whether he proposes to recognise the Institute of Irish Highway Education and to formalise the position of driving testers and of the recognition of driving schools?

The institute to which the Deputy refers was founded privately. They have no official status. There is not any information about them on file in my Department nor is there any record of the receipt of any correspondence from them. Neither is there on file in my Department anything dealing with the question of the registration of driving schools.

The correspondence was from persons acting in their capacity either as secretary or as co-ordinator of the institute to which reference is made but the correspondence back was to individuals without their being any reference to the title of the institute. I have seen copies of the letters that were sent to the Department by the individuals concerned.

But not on behalf of the organisation.

The Department replied to these people individually. Is it proposed to recognise at any stage the Institute of Irish Highway Education and is there any role for such an institute envisaged by the Minister?

If I had some information on file I might be able to answer the question about the institute concerned, but all we know about them is that they were founded privately. There is not any record in the Department of the receipt of correspondence from that organisation.

While I regard as sincere the Minister's response, I should like to raise this matter on the adjournment because I regard as deceitful the reply on the part of the officials.

The Deputy may be assured that if the information were on file I would have it. It may be the case that the individuals concerned wrote to the Department without referring to the institute concerned.

I have seen copies of the correspondence.