According to a confirmation by Ireland's Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Leo Varadkar, the wide-ranging provisions in the Road Traffic Bill 2012 - which was signed off by Cabinet on Tuesday - include new road safety measures, such as higher penalty points on main driving offences as well as a specific ban on texting while driving.

With the most recent edition of the Road Traffic Bill including a new range of penalty points, `texting while driving' has been particularly outlawed. As a result, the motorists' use or handling of a mobile handsets' keypad, for sending or receiving text messages, will be considered a motoring offence.

Going by the details shared by Varadkar, the Road Traffic Bill 2012 will have the penalty points raised from 2 to 3 - and to 5 if a motorist is convicted - for using mobile handset while driving, the new texting-related provision included.

In addition, Varadkar also revealed that a two penalty-point sanction will be faced by learner drivers who are caught driving unaccompanied; with another two penalty points for their failure to display the L-plates on their vehicles. Furthermore, in case the learner driver is convicted, the penalty will be increased to four, for each offence.

Noting that the Transport Department is "bringing forward a range of other long-term measures in the Road Traffic Bill 2012," Varadkar said: "Ireland is currently ranked sixth in the EU for road safety. I want us to become the safest country in Europe."