224. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 96 of 15 January 2026, whether his Department has had any engagement with the UNECE Working Party on Lighting and Light-Signalling task force regarding excessive brightness and intensity of modern LED and HID car headlights; and the nature of that engagement. [67638/26]

As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, as I previously advised in Parliamentary Question No. 96 of 15 January 2026 light emitting diode (LED) and high intensity discharge (HID) headlights are known to provide greater brightness, improved colour rendering, increase efficiency and, in the case of LED in particular, longer performance life.

I am aware that concern has been expressed in some quarters in relation to the use of LED and HID headlights. It is worth noting that the use of these headlights in the EU?is regulated by the European type-approval system. Type-approval requires the vehicle or component to meet specific safety standards in order to be placed on the European market and used in any Member State.??Accordingly, if a headlight has been type-approved and entered into service, it is considered safe to use within the EU.

During national roadworthiness testing, a vehicle's lighting system is tested to ensure it is in full working order and correctly aligned for the safe performance of the vehicle. Factors which can contribute to headlamp glare include misaligned aim, dirty or damaged headlamps or the use of incorrect bulbs or unapproved components.

As outlined, the standards for these lights are regulated at EU level. However, as with any concerns over vehicle safety, I am willing to consider evidence-based policy reviews in relation to their use.

I understand that the UNECE Working Party on Lighting and Light-Signalling established the Task Force for Glare Prevention to investigate this issue, and the EU Commission has confirmed that it is part of this newly established task force. The RSA is following the task force, which reports to the UNECE Working Party, and attended the online 8th session on 9th June as an observer as they are not a direct contracting party. The RSA is currently reviewing the documents from the most recent 9th Session which was held in Tokyo on 8th September.

The task force aims to review and evaluate existing research, surveys, and evidence on vehicle lighting glare, identify knowledge gaps, and improve understanding of the causes and effects of glare and make recommendations. Both I and the Department will be guided by that work.