Clare is one of only four counties in Ireland where there are fewer learner drivers on the roads than a year ago. Figures released by the Road Safety Authority to the Irish Road Haulage Association show there were 7,531 learner permit holders in this county at the end of March, down from 7,659 during the same period in 2025. Nationally, however, more than one in ten drivers are on a learner permit, with 6,219 more learner drivers on Irish roads compared to a year ago. Clare-based former IRHA president and Ennis haulier, Eugene Drennan, has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons while Clare is going "in the right direction", the RSA is "too big" to tackle the problem at a national level.