S.I. No. 348 of 2009

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (VEHICLE DRIVERS CERTIFICATE OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2009

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 8th September, 2009.

I, NOEL DEMPSEY, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972 (No. 27 of 1972) for the purpose of giving further effect to Directive No. 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 1 , hereby make the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Vehicle Drivers Certificate of Professional Competence) (Amendment) Regulations 2009.

2. The European Communities (Vehicle Drivers Certificate of Professional Competence) (No. 2) Regulations 2008 ( S.I. No. 359 of 2008 ) are amended-

(a) in Regulation 7(3), by substituting for the Table the following:

"Table

",

and

(b) in Regulation 12, by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:

"(3A) In the case of the holder of a driving licence or a recognised driving licence to drive a vehicle of category D1, D1+E, D or D+E, the first 7 hour tranche of retraining referred to in paragraph (3) must be completed by 31 December 2009 and each subsequent tranche must be completed by 10 September in each following year.".

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

2 September 2009

NOEL DEMPSEY,

Minister for Transport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These regulations amend the European Communities (Vehicle Drivers Certificate of Professional Competence (No. 2) Regulations 2008 ( S.I. No. 359 of 2008 )) to (i) allow bus drivers holding a certificate of professional competence until 31 December 2009 to complete the first 7 hours of training required and (ii) bring the lower age limit for obtaining a driver certificate of professional competence into line with the lower limit for obtaining a driving licence for bus and truck drivers.

1 OJ L 226, 10.9.2003, p. 4