Official Report: Minutes of Evidence

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): I welcome Members of the Northern Ireland Youth Assembly to the Committee. We have with us Emily, Áine, Andrew, Kian and Reuben, as well as a number of other folk who are sitting behind them. Perhaps the ones behind them will get called to answer the really difficult questions, should any get asked.

Members, we have a copy of the really interesting Youth Assembly report 'Young People's Views on Graduated Driving Licensing', and I assume that that is what the folks will speak to us about today. I encourage members to ask succinct questions, because we are running a bit behind, and this room will eventually need to be used for another Committee meeting.

I need to seek Committee agreement that the evidence session be recorded by Hansard. Is the Committee agreed?

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): I ask the representatives from the Northern Ireland Youth Assembly to make an opening statement of up to 10 minutes. I am sure that you have been well briefed in advance by Lucy, who is sitting in the background somewhere. I will now hand over to you, our panel of witnesses.

Mr Kian Ruddy (Northern Ireland Youth Assembly): Thank you to the Committee for Infrastructure for meeting us today. I will begin by providing some background on the Youth Assembly. It was established in June 2021 and is made up of 90 diverse Members, aged 12 to 16 and from all constituencies. We have representation from section 75 groups, including on gender, sexuality, disability, race and political opinion, plus care-experienced young people and those on free school meals. Those of us who are current Youth Assembly Members have been in our roles since November 2025.

The Youth Assembly has three main functions. First, we engage directly with the Northern Ireland Assembly and its Committees on inquiries and legislative scrutiny. Secondly, we conduct our own Committee-led project work. We meet experts, conduct our own research and present our findings to the Assembly. Our three Committees in this mandate are the Education Committee, which is examining the cost of education; the Health Committee, which is looking at social media addiction; and the Rights and Equality Committee, which is examining whether young people feel safe and respected when engaging with the PSNI. Thirdly, we work with Departments and other youth organisations on issues that affect young people's lives.

On 11 March 2026, we met the Clerk and Senior Assistant Assembly Clerk of the Committee for Infrastructure online to consider the proposed graduated driver licensing (GDL) regulations. It is an issue in which we are all very interested, as the new regulations will affect us all directly. We recognise the importance of improving road safety, particularly for young drivers, but we must also consider how the proposals would work in real life. Today, we will present the key findings from that discussion. The full report has been sent to the Committee.

I will hand over to Emily, who will explore the introduction of a six-month minimum learning period.

Ms Emily Murray (Northern Ireland Youth Assembly): I will start by speaking about the learning period and the cost of learning to drive. When asked about the introduction of a six-month minimum learning period, 58% of Youth Assembly Members supported the proposal, recognising that it could help all learners build confidence and experience in different conditions before being learning to drive independently. Some 24% opposed the proposal, however, with Members highlighting the possible impact on those living in rural communities, where young people often rely on driving to access work, education and social activities. The Association of British Insurers also highlighted that point.

Many of us also raised cost as a concern. Driving lessons now cost around £40 a lesson, and a longer learning period could significantly increase the financial burden on families. A provisional licence costs £62·50. The theory test costs £23. The practical test costs £65 if taken during the week and £95 if taken at the weekend. We will now have an additional cost of £17 for the training programme and logbook. One hundred per cent of Youth Assembly Members felt that the proposals would make learning to drive more expensive.

The FAQ section of the Department for Infrastructure's website states:

Although some of us acknowledged that improved safety might reduce insurance costs in the long term, most felt that those benefits were uncertain and unlikely to offset the immediate increase in costs.

The Assembly's Research and Information Service (RaISe) Bill paper from 2014 on the then Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill states:

That remains a concern to us. Although we support a structured learning approach, we are clear that affordability and accessibility must be considered alongside safety.

I will hand over to Andrew, who will focus on the introduction of a structured training programme and logbook.

Mr Andrew McClean (Northern Ireland Youth Assembly): I will speak about the proposed training programme and logbook. Some 70% of Youth Assembly Members supported the proposal, recognising that a structured programme could ensure that learners develop a wide range of driving skills before taking their test. Some 30% of Members, however, raised concerns, particularly about how the system would work in practice. A key issue was verification. We question whether allowing parents or other drivers to sign off modules could lead to the system being misused, thus potentially undermining its purpose.

We also have questions about the content of the programme, particularly about why motorway driving is optional, given how important it is as a skill. When asked whether learning to drive on a motorway would be helpful, 86% of Members said yes, with one Member describing motorway driving as "an essential learning experience". Although we recognise that not everyone lives near a motorway, the 70 mph limit also exists on dual carriageways.

Members suggested a number of other real-world driving challenges, such as navigating narrow rural roads and potholes, which we feel should also be reflected in training. We therefore support structured learning, but it must be robust, practical and reflective of real driving conditions.

I will hand over to Áine, who will focus on the removal of the 45 mph speed limit and the extension of the R-plate period.

Ms Áine Donnelly (Northern Ireland Youth Assembly): I will explore the proposed safety measures. Youth Assembly Members had a mixed reaction to the proposal to remove the 45 mph speed limit for new drivers. Some argued that driving slower than surrounding traffic can be dangerous, particularly when it leads to overtaking. Others, however, pointed to existing evidence, such as the disproportionate involvement of young drivers in collisions. Both sides of the argument therefore raise valid safety concerns.

When discussing changes to R-plates, 65% of Members supported extending the period to two years, but concerns were raised about whether drivers would be treated differently if they were distinguishable from more experienced drivers. Furthermore, the use of two different R-plates may lead to confusion. If plates are to be required for a two-year period, it may be more reasonable to go with a single, consistent design rather than require a change part way through. In addition, a potential fine of up to £1,000 may be deemed to be disproportionate.

Views were almost evenly split on night-time passenger restrictions, which would apply only to young people up to the age of 24. Fifty per cent of Members supported their introduction, 47% opposed their introduction and 3% were unsure. Some Members felt that introducing passenger restrictions could reduce distraction and risk, while others raised practical concerns, including concerns about particular challenges for young people in rural areas, as the introduction of night-time passenger restrictions could limit their access to education or work. There would also be a potentially negative impact on the roads and the environment as a result of more traffic. The Department itself encourages car sharing, which remains part of a sustainable travel policy and strategy.

We also question how the restrictions would be enforced in practice. I highlight how the measure could disproportionately affect young carers, young people with disabilities and anyone relying on car-sharing initiatives.

I will hand over to Reuben, who will address the need for consultation and conclude on behalf of the Youth Assembly.

Mr Reuben Beattie (Northern Ireland Youth Assembly): Good afternoon. I will address the consultation on the proposals. Unsurprisingly, there was strong agreement among our group that young people's voices need to be heard in policymaking, with 88% of members arguing that there should have been more recent consultation undertaken. Many of us either were not born or were very young at the time of the original consultation period. We note that a full child rights impact assessment does not appear to have been carried out and feel that conducting one would be important for understanding how the proposals affect young people specifically. Some 87% of Members supported carrying out updated impact assessments, particularly to reflect rural experiences, financial pressures and the needs of different groups of young people, including those with disabilities and those with dependants. We would like to know how the Department will measure the success of the regulations. What will the indicators of success be and how will those be communicated?

When asked whether the measures would improve road safety for new drivers, 80% of Members believed that they would. Members feel, however, that legislation alone is not enough. There is a role for education and awareness, including real-life learning experiences, and even for embedding road safety in the school curriculum. That suggestion is timely, given that the Department of Education is working on a review of the curriculum. We encourage the Department for Infrastructure to consider talking to the Department of Education about road safety and mobility education, which is offered in many European countries and includes how to move safely and responsibly as pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and future drivers.

In summary, the Youth Assembly supports the aim of improving road safety and reducing the number of fatal and serious collisions. We want to ensure, however, that the system is fair, practical and reflective of our lived experiences.

Thank you for listening. We welcome your questions.

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): I thank all the witnesses for being clear in giving their evidence. You were probably not aware of it, but, as you were speaking, some Committee members were smiling, because we have just had other witnesses in, and a lot of issues that you have raised were questions that we were asking them. It is interesting that you guys are completely on the ball with some of the key issues that you raised through the Youth Assembly on which we were questioning the previous set of witnesses. It is worth saying that the points that you have raised are spot on.

I read your research, some of which you have reflected today. One of the questions in your report asked:

to which 80% responded yes.

If GDL does make learning to drive more expensive — thankfully, I have two and a half years before I teach my daughter to drive, so the changes will probably be having an impact by that time — what impact will that have on young people in Northern Ireland?

Ms Murray: At the moment, driving lessons cost £40 to £45 a lesson. There would also be the increased cost of a licence and the cost of getting the logbook signed off. The Committee had representatives of insurance companies and driving instructors in earlier to give evidence. If the cost of insurance increases and the cost of driving lessons increases, that will place a greater financial burden on families. Families are already struggling to be able to get their children to drive, especially if those children are young carers. Whether they rely on the Government to help them get a car or are in need a car in general if group-sharing in a rural community, should costs go up, with families already being squeezed, that would squeeze them further. That would up cause young people to struggle a lot more, especially given inflation as a result of the current global situation. Driving lesson costs could significantly rise, causing some families to struggle greatly. If they are struggling to afford driving lessons now, they could be struggling a lot more in the future.

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): That is a great answer, Emily. Do you think that making learning to drive more expensive might affect some people in Northern Ireland more than others?

Some families will have the money so that their son or daughter can be taught to drive. You reflected in your answer that some families in Northern Ireland are really struggling and are having to consider whether they can afford to pay for their son or daughter to be taught to drive. Do you therefore think that making learning to drive more expensive could disproportionately affect some people in Northern Ireland?

Ms Murray: I think so, yes. There are people who face a money gap. They may already be on minimum wage or receiving aid from the Government. An increase in price may mean that those who can afford it may complain about its being more expensive, as it is taking more money out of their pocket, but they will still pay it. The money gap will be widened, however. For those who are already struggling, an increase in price could significantly add to their struggling.

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): That is great. Thank you. I have one more question. I suspect, Reuben, that it is probably for you, as it is about the consultation. You may be aware that the Committee was surprised — I am being gracious in using that word — when we learned about GDL. It was announced on the radio one morning, and there has been a lot of chat among Committee members about that. We were a bit disappointed that that was how the Committee learned that GDL was being introduced. You said that a massive 88% of Youth Assembly Members supported the view that there should have been more recent consultation undertaken. The Minister could say that the Department consulted on the matter and that everything was fine. Why does the Youth Assembly feel so strongly that there should have been more recent consultation?

Mr Beattie: As I said, many people on whom GDL will have an impact either were not born or were very young when the consultation was done. Furthermore, lots of things can change in 14 or 15 years, including the condition of roads and families' finances. Many factors will have changed in that time, so redoing the consultation would have been very beneficial.

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): That is a great answer. I have just one more question about that. Have you sent your report to the Minister for Infrastructure yet? Lucy is behind you shaking her head, so I think that it is safe to say that the answer is no. It would be great if you were to send it to the Minister, because it is really interesting research, especially given the fact that the Committee made the same point about consultation. We made the point that people who were three or four when the consultation was undertaken are now going to have to get a graduated driving licence. Some of what you have put together is excellent, and I think that the Minister would appreciate seeing it so that she is informed about what young people in Northern Ireland think.

Mr Stewart: Thanks so much to all of you for coming to the Committee. It is really great to see you, and I think that you are wonderful ambassadors and spokespeople as stakeholders. The Youth Assembly is a wonderful body, so we are privileged to have you here, particularly to discuss something that affects you and everyone whom you represent.

The Chair outlined a couple of key points. The first thing to take away from your report is that the survey reveals that 80% of you agreed that the principle behind GDL is to improve road safety and that it will do that. That is a good thing, but you are right to have concerns, particularly about the costs involved and how GDL will be implemented. It would probably be wrong of me not to mention the points that were made by the witnesses who were in before you and by you. Better consultation with stakeholders such as the Youth Assembly and driving instructors would been beneficial, as the Department could then have heard all the concerns and ironed them out. When GDL was announced, like us, you probably had as many questions as you had answers. We are still trying to get answers now, even though we are six months away from the roll-out of GDL.

The previous witnesses said that costs may go up, and that is an obvious concern. Are there additional supports that you would like to have? Is there currently a lack of understanding of what you need, such as learning aids to aid the experience of going through each of the modules? Do you still have questions that need to be answered?

Mr Beattie: Lots of questions have not been answered. I have no idea what will be in each module. I know only the name of each module. Each module could involve an endless number of factors, so some answers should be provided.

Mr Stewart: I think so as well. We have questions as well, as do the driving instructors. The sooner that that information comes out, the better.

At the previous session, we had in a representative if the insurance industry. It is important to highlight the cost of learning to drive, because it is increasing. Compared with the cost of driving and paying insurance, however, it is minimal. That is not to negate the cost of learning to drive. Rather, my point is that it is despicable how much the insurance industry is asking young people such as you to pay. How important is it that the insurance industry set out how much it expects premiums to go down by? The industry should be really clear about the data so that young people can understand what they will be paying and by how much premiums could go down when graduated driver licensing is in place and fully operational.

Ms Murray: Insurance companies should have it planned out. We should be able to see by how much premiums will come down. They are also in a tight knot, however. When the regulations are introduced later in the year, how effective will any changes be? If how effective or successful they are in the first couple of months or years were to be measured and communicated, that would greatly affect how much insurance companies would be able to reduce premiums. Reducing the amount of insurance that we pay will therefore greatly depend on how successful the measures are.

Mr Stewart: That is really good point, Emily. It is key that the Department correlate the data on the number of people taking the test and note whether there are the expected improvements in driving standards. Insurance industry data is also key. During the previous session, it came out that insurance companies do not publish data by region or by age. In order to understand how GDL will improve the premiums that you will be paying in Northern Ireland, we need the companies to tell us what those premiums currently are and what they will be in the future. In the absence of that data, I am really concerned that the industry may promise that insurance premiums will come down, but none of us will know.

People aged 17, 18 and 19 tell me that they have been quoted £4,000 a year for driving insurance. That is pricing so many young people out of the market. It is brilliant to get your first car and learn to drive, but then you get a quote for over three grand for insurance. How is that affordable? I am interested to hear your views. I know that I am deviating a bit from GDL, but insurance is such a key aspect. How unaffordable are insurance premiums for many young people at the moment?

Ms Donnelly: Lots of young people find university to be very expensive. A degree course at Queen's University costs £4,000 a year. It is mental that car insurance costs the same. Young people cannot work full-time before leaving school. How are they therefore meant to find the money to pay for that sort of thing? It is unfair. It is not right to ask them to pay so much.

Mr Stewart: I absolutely agree. This has been a really useful session. Hopefully, on the back of it, we can get answers. First of all, you have brought clarity to questions that we had about how the licence and the modules are to operate. Secondly, once you have all passed your test, which will hopefully be very soon, we need to ensure that insurance companies provide fair cover at a fair price. I do not believe that they are at the minute. When we get the data, it will hopefully answer that question for us. Thank you very much. I appreciate your coming in today.

Mr McReynolds: I thank everyone for coming in today. I chair the Assembly all-party group (APG) on road safety, so I am keen to hear whether, during the consultation with Youth Assembly Members, road safety as a concept came up. Outside of the GDL process, do Members have concerns about driving on our roads? Do you think that educating people about road safety is not fully reflected in the GDL process?

Mr Ruddy: I will answer your second question. Most people are not taught about road safety after primary school. Recently, the PSNI, the Ambulance Service and the Fire and Rescue Service came to my school for an event, to which other schools were invited. A fake car crash was set up, and pupils were taught how to stay safe, how to help in such a situation and how to avoid such a situation occurring.

If more schools were to do that, and if there were more funding from the Assembly and the Government to help them do it, accidents would be prevented.

Mr McReynolds: Education is one of the Youth Assembly's priorities for this year. Do you think road safety education should be included in the school curriculum? I work quite closely with the charity Road Safe NI, and it finds it difficult at times to get buy-in from all schools of the need for it.

Mr Ruddy: Yes.

Ms Murray: In many European countries, as we mentioned, road safety and mobility education has been introduced in schools, so pupils are taught about it there. Such education can be really helpful for young people, given that 17- to 23-year-olds account for 24% of our fatal and serious accidents. Road safety education should taught from the age of 16 or 17 until pupils leave school. Doing so has been successful in other European countries, so I do not see why it cannot be brought in here or why it would not be successful. The Department for Infrastructure should perhaps talk to the Department of Education, given that it is reviewing the school curriculum and looking at what it can bring into it.

Education can significantly help with road safety or at least ensure that people are aware of how to help, even if it does not cover everything that people need to know, as that would cost a lot of driving instructors their job. It would, however, help people know how to help and be safe, as well as giving them a general awareness.

As Kian said, a lot of people are not taught about road safety after primary school. Even then, road safety education is about looking left and right before crossing the road, making sure that you press the button and do not cross until you see the green man. It is about being a pedestrian, but there are also cycle lanes, bus lanes and motorcyclists. Having that education, that safety knowledge and a broader range of understanding of those who are on the road with you could significantly decrease accident rates.

Mr Beattie: Youth Assembly Members could meet the all-party group, if required. We would be happy to do that.

Mr McReynolds: Thank you. That is a solid pitch. I appreciate that.

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): It looks as though it is a date, Peter. Reuben has you covered.

Mr Dunne: Thank you, everyone, for coming to the Committee. It is good to see your enthusiasm and learn about your activity. About 11 months ago, during the previous Youth Assembly mandate, Youth Assembly Members came to the Justice Committee, and it is good to see that good work continue.

You mentioned road safety education in other countries, but did you look at driving test arrangements elsewhere in any detail? If so, did any countries stand out as having good or bad models?

Ms Murray: We looked at other countries, but, in doing so, we were mainly considering GDL. We looked at England especially and at how it does not have a 45 mph limit for newly qualified drivers. When people finish learning, they can drive up to the 70 mph limit straight away. When looking at England, we saw that it has somehow been able to reduce its number of road crashes, as have other European countries. Although we did not single out any European countries, we did look at some of their successes in improving road safety.

Mr Dunne: Very good. In your survey, the issue of the 45 mph limit for newly qualified drivers received the most mixed response. Does anyone have a strong view on that? On the one hand, it is a controlled experience, but, on the other hand, people do not get the experience of driving at a higher speed.

Mr Beattie: It is not really a case of having one view or the other. There are many different ideas about how that limit both creates and reduces risk. For instance, for new drivers on a motorway, going at 70 mph may not be the smartest thing for them to do. There is some risk involved in doing that. If a new driver, however, were to drive along a country road that has a 60 mph limit and take a corner at that speed, they might encounter someone going 45 mph just around the corner, which might increase the level of risk.

Mr Dunne: Thanks very much, folks. Well done. Keep up the good work.

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): I do not have any other indications from members to ask questions, unless they start to shout out some to me now.

Thank you very much for coming in. I cannot believe that you were not more nervous. Perhaps we are not a very scary Committee. We often have people sitting behind the microphones who are very senior in organisations and earn the big bucks, and they can seem a lot more nervous than you have been today. That is amazing. It is not easy to give evidence, but yours was seamless. It was really good, as is the evidence that the Youth Assembly put together for us. If you are happy for us to do so, will we send it on to the Minister? I see that you are nodding. If you want, we will also write to the Minister of Education about road safety education. Your points on that were well made, and we can certainly ask the questions. It is probably down to schools to take that on rather than it being for the Department to say, "You need to do this or that", but we will write to the Minister and feed the response back to you guys so that you can have a look at it.

Do you guys wish to make any final points or ask any final questions? If you are happy enough, Andrew will have the last word.

Mr McMurray: Thank you all for coming in. It was good to see you at the all-party group on youth participation. I am not sure whether this session is a spin-off from that. I echo what the Chair said about what was presented to us on our screens and in the room. How you presented your evidence is a credit to you all, so, genuinely, I thank you very much for coming to the Committee.

The Chairperson (Mr Martin): Well done. Thank you very much for coming in and presenting your evidence to the Committee.