Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I understand the reasons the Deputy has tabled the amendment. Provision is made for the NTA to have anyone seeking a vehicle licence vetted. Anyone who looks for a driver's licence is vetted every five years. Vehicle licences are granted every year and the NTA can vet anyone if required and there is reasonable cause to do so. This is enough power for the NTA which it can use as necessary. Another reason I am not willing to accept the amendment - the Deputy will appreciate this - is that as vehicle licences are issued annually vetting would have to be undertaken in hundreds of thousands of instances. I accept the bona fides of the Deputy and the reasonable arguments he has made, but it would require a huge amount of extra manpower to go through all of the licence applications. The NTA has the capacity to do so where necessary and I believe this is sufficient.