S.I. No. 303/2021 - Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 29th June, 2021.

I, EAMON RYAN, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 5 (1) and 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) and the National Roads and Road Traffic (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 298 of 2002 ) (as adapted by the Transport, Tourism and Sport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 351 of 2020 )), hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021.

(2) These Regulations and the Principal Regulations shall be construed together.

2. In these Regulations “Principal Regulations” means the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 ( S.I. No. 537 of 2006 ).

3. Where a learner permit granted in accordance with Regulation 17 of the Principal Regulations expires during the period -

(a) beginning on 1 March 2020 and ending on 30 June 2020, the learner permit shall be deemed to have been granted for an additional period of 18 months and the expiry date of permit shall be extended by a period of 18 months,

(b) beginning on 1 July 2020 and ending on 31 October 2020, the learner permit shall be deemed to have been granted for an additional period of 14 months and the expiry date of permit shall be extended by a period of 14 months, or

(c) beginning on 1 November 2020 and ending on 31 July 2021, the learner permit shall be deemed to have been granted for an additional period of 10 months and the expiry date of permit shall be extended by a period of 10 months.

4. Where a learner permit, granted in accordance with Regulation 17 of the Principal Regulations, is a permit to drive vehicles of more than one category and an expiry date, by category, occurs during the period -

(a) beginning on 1 March 2020 and ending on 30 June 2020, the learner permit in respect of the category concerned shall be deemed to have been granted for an additional period of 18 months and the expiry date, by category shall be extended by a period of 18 months,

(b) beginning on 1 July 2020 and ending on 31 October 2020, the learner permit in respect of the category concerned shall be deemed to have been granted for an additional period of 14 months and the expiry date, by category shall be extended by a period of 14 months, or

(c) beginning on 1 November 2020 and ending on 31 July 2021, the learner permit in respect of the category concerned shall be deemed to have been granted for an additional period of 10 months and the expiry date, by category shall be extended by a period of 10 months.

5. The Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2020 ( S.I. No. 235 of 2020 ) are revoked.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

24 June, 2021.

EAMON RYAN,

Minister for Transport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations expand the extension of validity of learner permits previously granted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A learner permit that expired between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 has now been extended for 18 months from the date of expiry specified on the permit.

A learner permit that expired between 1 July 2020 and 31 October 2020 has now been extended for 14 months from the date of expiry specified on the permit.

A learner permit that expired between 1 November 2020 and 31 July 2021 has now been extended for 10 months from the date of expiry specified on the permit.

The above extensions apply to all the categories listed on the learner permit from the date of expiry for each category.