377. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport his views on the way in which Ireland compares to other EU countries in terms of the use of technology in driving tests to ensure fairness is applied at all times (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61448/26]

379. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport his views on the concerns raised by the campaign related to the mechanisms in place behind the Irish Driving Test system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61442/26]

382. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding any review ongoing into the way in which the Irish driving test is graded and assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61443/26]

392. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport his views on the merits of amending the current driving test system to allow for greater use of technology including video / audio recording to create greater transparency for an appeal mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61445/26]

393. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Transport whether his Department has examined the use of encrypted audio and video recording technology during practical driving tests in other EU Member States; if consideration has been given to introducing such systems within driving test vehicles to support the appeals process and enhance transparency for both candidates and examiners: if he will seek legal advice regarding the compatibility of in-car recording systems for driving tests with GDPR and Irish data protection legislation: and if he will make a statement on the matter [61590/26]

412. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has given consideration to introducing in-car recording technology for driving test vehicles for auditing and quality assurance purposes, as has been introduced in Portugal, Lithuania and Bulgaria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61592/26]

432. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport whether he has examined introducing dashboard cameras and audio recording devices within driving test vehicles to ensure transparency and safety for both examiners and candidates; and if he would make a statement on the matter. [61762/26]

438. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the campaign related to the mechanisms in place behind the Irish driving test system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.' [61440/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 377, 379, 382, 392, 393, 412, 432 and 438 together.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputies’ questions to the Authority for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

Pending this response, the Deputies may wish to note that in the Phase 2 Action Plan 2025-2027 of the Government's Road Safety Strategy, Action 7A states that the RSA will lead to 'enhance the learning to drive programme based on evidence from international best practice, in tandem with improvements in the driving test'.

The objective of this work is to ensure the learning to drive programme is fit for purpose, future-proofed, and capable of adapting to advancements in vehicle technology while considering international best practice. The RSA has progressed this action and conducted a review of the learning to drive curriculum, in partnership with the Queensland University of Technology, with a view to bringing forward recommendations in the coming months.