These Terms and Conditions apply to driving lessons, EDT lessons, assessments, lesson packages, gift vouchers and driving-test car-hire services supplied by Drive Ability.

By booking or paying for a service, the customer confirms that they have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions. Where the student is under 18, acceptance must also be provided by a parent or legal guardian.

1. About Drive Ability

DriveAbility IE is a business name registered in Ireland under CRO number 737966.

• Telephone/WhatsApp: 083 149 0032
• Email: driveabilityireland@gmail.com
• Website: driveability.ie

2. Bookings and payment

A booking is not confirmed until it has been accepted by Drive Ability and any required payment has been received.

Unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed, full payment is required when booking online or no later than five days before the lesson.

Customers are responsible for checking the date, time, duration, pick-up location and service shown in their booking confirmation.

Prices are those displayed or agreed at the time of booking. Any additional charge will be explained and agreed before payment.

Refunds, credits, cancellations and rescheduling are governed by the relevant provisions below. Different conditions apply to individual appointments, lesson packages, gift vouchers and driving-test car hire.

Nothing in these terms affects the customer’s statutory consumer rights.

3. Cancellation and rescheduling of individual appointments

This section applies to individual lessons and other scheduled appointments. It does not give the student a right to cancel a lesson package or obtain a refund for unused package credit.

At least 48 hours’ notice is required to cancel or reschedule an individual appointment.

Where a rescheduling link is provided in the original booking-confirmation email, the student must use that link to reschedule the appointment online.

If the rescheduling link is unavailable or does not work, the student must contact Drive Ability directly by WhatsApp, text message or email before the 48-hour deadline.

Cancellation requests must be sent directly to Drive Ability by WhatsApp, text message or email.

A cancellation or rescheduling request takes effect when it is successfully completed online or, where direct contact is required, when the message is received by Drive Ability.

Cancelling an individual appointment does not cancel the student’s overall lesson package. Where at least 48 hours’ notice is provided, the payment or package credit will remain on the student’s account and may be used to book another suitable appointment. A cash refund will not normally be issued.

If less than 48 hours’ notice is provided, or if the student does not attend, the student may be charged up to 100% of the booked service fee. Where the appointment forms part of a package, the lesson may be deducted from the package.

This charge reflects the time reserved for the student and the difficulty of offering the appointment to another customer at short notice.

Exceptional and unavoidable circumstances may be considered individually. Any decision to waive or reduce a late-cancellation charge is at Drive Ability’s reasonable discretion.

4. Lateness

Students should be ready at the agreed pick-up location at the scheduled starting time.

If a student is late, the lesson will normally still finish at its scheduled time and the full lesson fee will remain payable.

If the student cannot be contacted or has not arrived within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, the lesson may be treated as a late cancellation.

If the instructor is late, the lost lesson time will be added where reasonably possible or provided as a credit or proportionate refund.

5. Cancellation by Drive Ability

Drive Ability will provide as much notice as reasonably possible if a lesson must be cancelled.

If Drive Ability cancels a lesson, the student may choose:

• A replacement appointment;
• A credit for the full amount paid; or
• A refund of the affected lesson fee.

Drive Ability will not be responsible for additional or indirect costs arising from a cancelled lesson, except where responsibility cannot legally be excluded.

Lessons may be cancelled or rescheduled due to severe weather, dangerous road conditions, instructor illness, vehicle failure or circumstances outside the reasonable control of Drive Ability.

6. Lesson duration

The booked lesson time may include:

• Vehicle and safety checks;
• Instruction and supervised driving;
• Briefings and demonstrations;
• Lesson reviews and feedback; and
• EDT administration or record updates, where applicable.

Where travel is required from the agreed pick-up point to a suitable training area, this forms part of the booked lesson time.

7. Learner permit or driving licence

The student must hold a current and valid category B Irish learner permit or driving licence appropriate to the training being undertaken.

The original physical permit or licence must be presented at every lesson. A photograph or digital copy is not sufficient.

A lesson may be cancelled and charged in full if the student:

• Cannot produce a valid permit or licence;
• Is disqualified or otherwise not legally entitled to drive;
• Is required to wear glasses or contact lenses but does not have them available;
• Provides incorrect licence or driver-number information; or
• Does not satisfy another legal requirement necessary for the lesson.

Students must inform Drive Ability about any change affecting their legal entitlement or medical fitness to drive.

8. Fitness to drive

Students must be fit to drive safely.

The instructor may refuse to begin or may end a lesson if the student appears unfit to drive because of:

• Alcohol or illegal drugs;
• Prescription or non-prescription medication that may impair driving;
• Illness, injury or excessive tiredness;
• A medical condition affecting safe driving;
• Emotional distress that makes continuing unsafe; or
• Any other condition that creates a significant safety risk.

Where the student knew or reasonably should have known that they were unfit to drive, the full lesson fee may remain payable.

Students should seek appropriate medical advice if they are unsure whether a medical condition or medication affects their ability to drive.

9. Safety and conduct

The instructor is responsible for managing safety during the lesson and may change the route, exercise or lesson plan where reasonably necessary.

The instructor may refuse to begin or may end a lesson where the student:

• Drives in a dangerous or reckless manner;
• Repeatedly refuses to follow safety instructions;
• Behaves in an abusive, threatening, discriminatory or inappropriate manner;
• Intentionally interferes with the vehicle or its safety equipment; or
• Creates a serious legal or safety risk.

Where a lesson is ended because of the student’s conduct, the full lesson fee may remain payable.

Abusive, threatening or inappropriate behaviour may result in future bookings being refused.

10. Traffic offences and penalty points

Students must comply with the Rules of the Road and all applicable road-traffic laws.

Each person remains responsible for offences, fixed-charge notices, penalty points or legal consequences attributable to their own actions under Irish law.

Nothing in these terms changes any responsibility imposed on the student, instructor, accompanying driver or vehicle owner by law.

11. Lessons in the student’s vehicle

Some lessons may be conducted in a vehicle supplied by the student.

The vehicle must:

• Be roadworthy and suitable for the planned training;
• Be properly taxed;
• Have a valid NCT where required;
• Be appropriately insured for driving tuition with an Approved Driving Instructor;
• Display valid tax, insurance and NCT discs where legally required;
• Display L-plates or N-plates where applicable;
• Have safe tyres, lights, indicators, brakes, seatbelts and other required equipment; and
• Be free from warning lights or defects that may affect safety or legality.

The student must be insured to drive the vehicle and should confirm with the insurer that the policy covers professional driving tuition.

The instructor may inspect the vehicle before the lesson. This is a basic safety assessment and does not replace the owner’s legal responsibility to maintain a safe and roadworthy vehicle.

If the vehicle does not meet the necessary legal or safety requirements, the lesson may be cancelled and the full lesson fee may remain payable.

12. Insurance and incidents in the student’s vehicle

The customer is responsible for ensuring that their vehicle and insurance comply with all applicable legal and policy requirements.

Any collision, damage or incident will be handled according to the circumstances, applicable insurance policies and Irish law.

Nothing in these terms excludes responsibility legally attributable to Drive Ability or the instructor.

13. Damage to the school vehicle

Students will not normally be charged for damage arising from ordinary mistakes made while following the instructor’s directions during a lesson.

Drive Ability may seek reimbursement for reasonable and evidenced losses where damage results from:

• Deliberate or reckless conduct;
• An unauthorised action;
• A serious failure to follow a clear safety instruction; or
• Conduct outside what could reasonably be regarded as an ordinary learning error.

Any claim will be considered according to the circumstances, available evidence, applicable insurance cover and Irish law.

14. EDT lessons and learning progress

EDT lessons will be delivered in accordance with applicable RSA requirements.

The EDT programme alone does not guarantee that a student will reach driving-test standard. Learning to drive effectively requires a combination of:

• Structured EDT lessons;
• Study of the Rules of the Road;
• Regular practice between lessons; and
• Additional instruction where required.

Practice in a private vehicle must only take place where the learner, vehicle and accompanying driver meet all legal requirements.

The student is responsible for supplying accurate learner-permit and driver-number information and for checking their EDT/MyEDT record.

Drive Ability cannot guarantee how many lessons an individual student will need or that the student will pass a driving test.

15. Lesson packages and prepaid credit

Lesson packages and prepaid credit may only be used for the services for which they were purchased, unless otherwise agreed.

Packages are personal to the named student and may not be transferred, shared or resold without prior written agreement from Drive Ability.

Once purchased, a lesson package cannot normally be cancelled and no refund will be provided for unused lessons or credit if the student decides not to complete the package.

Individual appointments booked as part of a package may be rescheduled in accordance with the 48-hour cancellation and rescheduling policy.

Cancelling an individual appointment does not cancel the overall package. Where sufficient notice is provided, the package credit will remain available for another suitable appointment.

A lesson cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice, or missed without sufficient notice, may be deducted from the package.

If Drive Ability is unable to provide the remaining lessons, the student will be offered a suitable alternative arrangement or a refund for the services not provided.

Any package duration or expiry condition will be clearly provided before purchase.

Nothing in this section limits any cancellation, refund or other right that the customer may have under Irish consumer law.

16. Gift vouchers

Gift vouchers are valid for five years from the date of purchase. The purchaser will receive written confirmation of the relevant expiry date.

Gift vouchers:

• May be used over more than one transaction;
• May be combined with other vouchers;
• May be used by someone other than the original purchaser;
• Cannot normally be exchanged for cash; and
• Remain subject to Irish gift-voucher legislation concerning unused balances and refunds.

Where more than €1 remains after a transaction, the remaining balance will be dealt with in accordance with applicable Irish law.

Once an appointment has been booked using a gift voucher, the cancellation and rescheduling rules for individual appointments apply.

Cancelling an appointment does not entitle the customer to exchange the voucher or its unused balance for cash, except where required by Irish law.

17. Driving-test car hire

Use of the school vehicle for a driving test is subject to a prior driving-standard and safety assessment.

Booking or paying for lessons does not automatically guarantee use of the school vehicle for a driving test.

The instructor may refuse or withdraw car hire where the student:

• Has not completed the required assessment;
• Does not demonstrate a reasonably safe standard of driving;
• Drives dangerously or repeatedly disregards safety instructions;
• Does not hold the correct valid learner permit;
• Does not satisfy RSA test requirements; or
• Presents another significant legal, insurance or safety concern.

If car hire is refused following an assessment, the assessment or lesson already provided remains payable. Any separate prepaid car-hire amount for a service that will not be supplied will be refunded.

The student must provide accurate test details and notify Drive Ability immediately if the RSA changes or cancels the test.

Car hire remains subject to vehicle and instructor availability. If the booked school vehicle becomes unavailable, Drive Ability may offer a suitable replacement vehicle, an alternative arrangement or a refund of the affected service.

Drive Ability does not guarantee that any student will be accepted for test by the RSA or will pass the driving test.

If the RSA cancels a test after the car-hire service has begun, the booked fee may remain payable. Where practical, any remaining time may be used as a driving lesson.

18. Online and distance bookings

The no-refund policy for lesson packages does not exclude any cancellation, withdrawal or refund right that the customer may have under Irish consumer law.

Where a statutory cancellation or cooling-off right applies, the customer may exercise it by notifying Drive Ability clearly by email or WhatsApp and providing their name and booking details.

If the customer expressly requests that lessons or another service begin during an applicable cooling-off period, the customer may be required to pay a proportionate amount for services already provided, where permitted by law.

Once any applicable statutory cooling-off period has ended, the normal lesson-package and appointment cancellation provisions apply.

19. Recordings, photographs and social media

Students may not make audio, video or photographic recordings during a lesson without the instructor’s prior agreement.

Drive Ability will not publish an identifiable student photograph, video, testimonial or driving-test result for marketing purposes without separate permission.

Consent for marketing or social-media use is voluntary and may be withdrawn for future use.

School vehicles may use dash cameras for security, safety, incident management or insurance purposes. Any personal data collected will be handled in accordance with the Drive Ability Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law.

20. Personal information

Personal information will be used to manage bookings, payments, communications, EDT administration and the delivery of services.

Information will be handled in accordance with the Drive Ability Privacy Policy.

Students must ensure that the information they provide is accurate and up to date.

21. Complaints

Any concern should first be raised directly with Drive Ability so that there is a reasonable opportunity to resolve it.

Complaints may be submitted:

• By email to driveabilityireland@gmail.com; or
• By WhatsApp or text message to 083 149 0032.

Please include your name, booking details and a clear description of the issue. Drive Ability will acknowledge and respond to complaints within a reasonable period.

22. Statutory rights

Driving instruction and related services will be provided with reasonable care and skill and in accordance with applicable Irish law.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes, restricts or overrides any right or remedy that a consumer has under Irish law.

If any provision is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.

23. Website content and intellectual property

Unless otherwise stated, the Drive Ability name, logo, website text, training materials, original photographs, videos and other original content belong to Drive Ability or are used with permission.

They may not be copied, republished or used commercially without prior written permission, except where use is permitted by law.

Student reviews remain the words of their respective authors and are not claimed as the intellectual property of Drive Ability.

24. Changes to these terms

Drive Ability may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time.

The terms applying to a booking will normally be those made available when the booking was confirmed. Any material change affecting an existing booking will be communicated directly to the customer.

25. Governing law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by Irish law.

Nothing in this section limits a consumer’s right to use any court, complaint process or legal remedy available to them under applicable law.

Last updated: 7 September 2026