Qualifying for driver licences and the renewal of licences has been a big issue for people locally for a long while. People are experiencing very long delays, especially for the test. The extension of driver licences during the pandemic was very helpful but now those licences have to be renewed. The over-70s are expected to provide a medical certificate as part of their renewal and that is creating extra work for busy GPs. It is drawing vulnerable people into busy surgeries at a time of the year when respiratory conditions are becoming more common. As the Taoiseach can imagine, that is a huge worry for people aged over 70 who are looking to renew their licence and want to stay mobile. Can that burden be lightened for the over-70s? I ask the Government to push out the need for the medical certificate to a later age, reduce the burden on everybody and streamline the process. Can it be reviewed with the National Driver Licence Service, NDLS?

I thank the Deputy for a very pertinent question and for his consistent advocacy for drivers on the driving test issue, particularly during the Covid situation. The Minister of State with responsibility for road transport, Deputy Naughton, has approved the proposal to raise the age for the mandatory provision of a medical report with licence applications to 75. Implementation of the proposal requires a range of legislative and operational changes. Initial draft regulations were forwarded to the Road Safety Authority, RSA, for observation. It is anticipated that these will be sent to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, OPC, shortly. Other regulations such as those determining fees may also need amendment. In addition, the RSA is revising its operational procedures to accommodate the change. At this stage, the division is currently working towards a 1 December commencement date, although this is dependent on no significant issues arising. As the Deputy knows, as part of the provisions made due to the Covid-19 pandemic and to ease the burden on medical services, the requirement for persons of 70 years of age or older to submit a medical certificate was removed. The Deputy knows the background to this. We are making progress on some of the issues he has raised.