07:29 GMT
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15-year-old Oliver understands why they are making the changes
Ahead of the today’s announcement, BBC News NI’s Julie McCullough visited St Mark’s High School in Warrenpoint, County Down, and spoke to some present and past pupils from the school’s GCSE Motor Vehicle & Road User Studies class.
So what did they make of it? It was a mixed picture.
“It would be a bit of an annoyance to not be able to drive right away,” said Oliver, 15 – but he did add that it makes sense.
“There are people who get their licence too early and aren’t experienced enough on the road to be going out and driving themselves.”
Cormac, 17, who passed his driving test in less than six months after his birthday – said he would have understood if they required a “minimum lessons amount”.
But he does welcome the removal of the 45mph speed limit.
“When you’re on a dual carriageway and having to go 45mph it does feel more dangerous than safe.”
Amy, 18, hasn’t got her driving licence yet, but said she didn’t like the idea of restricting the number of passengers she could have in a car at night time.
“Instead of taking one car load you’d maybe have to take three,” she said, adding she accepts it is probably for the “greater good”.
“You wouldn’t be getting distracted as much if your friends were sitting beside you trying to show you something.”