60. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on the status of the NSAI’s engagement with a company (details supplied); the expected timeline for a decision regarding full self-driving (supervised). [46138/26]

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is an independent State Agency that operates under the aegis of my Department. It was established as an independent statutory body in 1997 under the National Standards Authority of Ireland Act of 1996.

My Department has been advised by the NSAI that in its role as Ireland’s Type Approval Authority under Regulation (EU) 2018/858, it is currently engaged in technical and administrative activities in relation to an application involving advanced driver assistance systems, including functionality described as “full self-driving (supervised)”.

As aspects of this technology are not yet fully addressed by existing regulatory requirements, an application has been made to the European Commission under the exemption process set out in Article 39 of Regulation (EU) 2018/858. While awaiting an EU-level decision, applicants may also seek mutual recognition of such systems at national level, which reflects the current stage of this process.

Type Approval Authorities are subject to strict confidentiality obligations regarding commercially sensitive information and the details of individual applications. Accordingly, it is not possible to comment on specific applicants or the detailed status of any particular assessment.

Given the complexity and safety-critical nature of these systems, it is not possible to provide a definitive timeline. However, the NSAI continues to progress its work in line with its statutory obligations to ensure road safety and full compliance with EU law.