Learner drivers will have to take mandatory driving courses before sitting their test in a move aimed at improving road safety.
Only 52 per cent of drivers pass the test on their first attempt, and the Government hopes the new training system will improve driving standards and help reduce waiting times for tests.
The measure will bring Ireland into line with many other EU member-states which have more stringent training requirements.
Under the new system, to be announced this year, provisional licence holders will have to prove they have training with a State-approved driving instructor.
There are over 360,000 provisional licence holders on the roads who are not obliged to undergo any formal training before sitting their test.
Department of Transport officials are still drafting details of the measures, but one source said it was likely that learner drivers would have to accumulate a set number of hours.
The exact nature of the training will be finalised in the coming months, and will form part of the new Driver Testing Agency Bill, expected to be published in the autumn.
The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has already announced that this legislation will place all driving tests under an independent body.
The new training requirement will help deflect criticism from road safety campaigners who have repeatedly criticised the State's relaxed approach to allowing drivers on the road without any formal training.
The mandatory training measure will also affect motorcyclists, with official figures indicating that around 70 per cent of the 47,000 motorcyclists on the road have never completed a driving test.
There is still a major backlog of applicants seeking to sit their test despite various Government initiatives aimed at reducing waiting times. Around 100,000 provisional licence holders are currently waiting to sit their test, but face a typical a wait of 16 weeks.
The Minister said he was exploring a number of options aimed at cutting waiting times for provisional licence holders.
It is understood Mr Brennan has been in discussions with the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, over a bonus scheme which would see existing driving instructors test more trainee drivers.
