Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The National Driver Licence Service, NDLS, is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and the criteria for applying for a replacement for a lost or stolen driving licence are set out on the RSA website. These requirements include a Garda report stating it was lost or stolen.

There were problems with the speed of processing applications in the NDLS when the system came on stream last November. However, my officials, advisers and I have been in  regular discussions with the CEO of the RSA about the difficulties people have experienced and how the RSA proposes to address them. The authority acknowledges there were teething problems with the service when it opened. Some were technical and systems issues, while others related to the fact the staff were new and needed to become familiar with the rules and processes on driving licences and permits. However, the system has now improved.

The RSA responded by increasing resources and staff numbers in NDLS centres experiencing delays, as well as in the licence processing centre, and providing further training to staff. There are no longer any technical difficulties affecting the service. A booking system is in place to allow customers make appointments. This was operating on a pilot phase, which was successful, and the system is being extended on a phased basis to all NDLS offices. I understand from the RSA that applications for a driving licence which are fully in order are now processed in a timeframe of eight to 13 days. This timeframe will reduce to between five and eight days later this month.

The RSA has assured me the remaining backlog has been cleared and that the NDLS can also respond to urgent situations where a licence is needed for travel abroad or for work purposes. The details of this are on the website.

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