Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will move on to the issue of international driving licences. I have read through the list of countries we have partnerships with, and I have read about the length of time conversions are taking, but I will focus in on the United States. A woman came to my clinic in west Clare two weeks ago. The situation has now been regularised but, for a long time, when she and her compatriots from the United States drove the rural roads of west Clare, they were doing so illegally. While they were waiting for their licences to come through, they had to get driving lessons and get tested again. These are people who had impeccable driving records and who had never done anything untoward. In fact, some of them belonged to the statistically safest demographic, the age group from 45 to 58 years of age. They found it demeaning to have to undergo all of this training and testing in Ireland. On top of that, after getting a test, they would need an accompanying driver and an N sticker on their car. Many American citizens' partners or spouses are also American, so they do not have anyone who can travel in the car with them. Are they going to pull up at the side of the road and wait for a neighbour to come along and sit in beside them? The way this operates is absolutely impractical. I am not laying the blame fully on the RSA but can its representatives explain this? I read the list of all of the countries with which we have memorandums of understanding and whose licences we can accept. I raised this in the Dáil last week and the Minister, Deputy Ryan, said it could be too convoluted because each American state has its own licensing system. Will the witnesses give me their perspectives on this matter, knowing what they know about all of these other third countries and EU countries? What is lacking? What can we do here?