Holders of a UK Transport Manager qualification will not have to re-sit exam in Ireland
The Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC) has welcomed news that the Department of Transport and European Commission have taken steps to make it easier for transport managers in Ireland who hold a professional qualification from a UK body to continue working after the Brexit transition period ends on 31st December.
As highlighted by the European Commission, after the end of the Brexit transition period transport managers’ Certificates of Professional Competence (CPC) issued by an authority of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, will no longer be valid in the EU. Thanks to new actions taken by the Department of Transport and the European Commission, holders of a UK issued Transport Manager CPC qualification working for an Irish operator will now not have to re-sit their exam in order to obtain an equivalent certificate in Ireland. The European Commission this week indicated that the Department may issue a corresponding Irish Transport Manager CPC to those UK qualified individuals working for Irish operators, before the end of the Brexit transition period.
Reacting to the news, CTTC Chairman, John Halpenny said: “The news coming this week from the European Commission and Department of Transport will deliver peace of mind to transport managers across the country who will have been worried about their ability to continue working in the new year, as well as to coach operators who are under a legal obligation to ensure their staff are compliant with relevant regulations.
Given that transport managers would have faced considerable practical barriers to sitting examinations amid a pandemic, the lifting of this requirement is a particularly timely move. We thank the Department of Transport for its leadership on this issue – it is thanks to their work that the urgency and seriousness of this matter was recognised at the European level. Department officials have also proactively sought out affected transport managers and coach operators to inform them how Brexit will impact them and what steps they need to take. At the CTTC we now encourage our members and their relevant staff members to be on the lookout for further instructions coming soon from the Department on how UK-certified transport managers can obtain an Irish CPC without the need to sit an exam.”
