Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

The reality is that there should be synchronisation in this process. If the Minister says licence holders should only have a month to apply so that applications will be proximate to the expiry date, it should also be the case that the Garda has a month to make a decision on those applications. Whatever may be the general case in practice, the law provides that gardaí have three months to make a decision but certificate holders have only month to apply. There could legally be a two-month gap where one is left high and dry without a licence.

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