3.—(1) Notwithstanding anything in the Principal Act or the Road Transport Act, 1935, the Minister may grant, in respect of a vehicle which complies with the conditions specified in section 7(1) of the Road Transport Act, 1935 (as amended by section 29 of the Transport Act, 1958), a licence (which shall be known and is in this Act referred to as a “restricted road freight licence”) to a person authorising the person to import the vehicle and to use it for the purposes of merchandise road transport in the State, subject to any conditions which the Minister may see fit to impose and specifies in the licence.

(2) The Minister may by order declare that a licence or class of licence (as may be specified in the order) granted by the competent authority of another State, an international organisation or a person or body acting on behalf of such an organisation in pursuance of an act of the European Communities, an international agreement relating to international transport by road to which the Government, the State or the European Communities is or are a party, or an agreement, arrangement or resolution relating to such transport to which the Minister is a party, shall be deemed to be a restricted road freight licence, and any such order made before the coming into operation of this section shall continue in force and be deemed to have been made under this section.

(3) The Minister may by order amend or revoke an order made under this section.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed as permitting a person to use a vehicle, in respect of which a restricted road freight licence has been granted, for the delivery in the State of goods which have been loaded onto that vehicle in the State, except where an order made by the Minister under subsection (2) expressly permits such delivery.

(5) A person who is, or is deemed under subsection (2) to be, the holder of a restricted road freight licence in respect of a vehicle, is not required, in respect of that vehicle, to—

(a) hold a road freight carrier’s licence, or

(b) obtain a transport disc.

(6) The Minister may at his or her discretion charge a fee of such amount as he or she may determine in respect of a restricted road freight licence or a licence deemed by order under subsection (2) to be a restricted road freight licence.