Applicants for provisional driving licences will soon be required to sit a theory test. The Department of the Environment is thought to be close to awarding the tender for the test. A spokesman said the test should be operative by mid-year.
Currently, first applicants have to undergo an eyesight test, provide their birth certificate and pay £12 to obtain a two-year provisional licence.
The theory test will be multiple-choice and given on a touch-screen computer. Centres will be set up around the State.
The theory test will cover the rules of the road, risk perception, hazard awareness and good driving behaviour. It has been introduced to comply with an EU directive.
Under the Road Traffic Act, holders of second provisional licences are entitled to drive unaccompanied.
There are 380,000 provisional licence holders in the Republic.
More changes are to be introduced in the Road Traffic Bill 2001 which is expected to be published within weeks.
It is expected that a penalty points system for driving offences will be introduced and drivers will be required to carry licences.
The target date for these changes is the end of the year.
Much criticism of the driving licence system centres on the number of untested provisional licence drivers on the roads who are waiting for a test.