Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Kitt for raising this issue. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, had intended to take this matter but he is in the Seanad.

In 2011, the Government decided to centralise the driver licensing service, following an examination of the options related to the requirement for all EU member states to introduce a plastic card licence. The examination found that a centralised system would offer enhanced security and consistency, as well as being more efficient and cost-effective. The Government appointed the Road Safety Authority, RSA, as the lead agency for the plastic card project and for the centralised driver licence system. The necessary legislation to transfer powers for driver licensing to the RSA was put in place through the Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Act 2012.

The RSA operates driver licensing through the NDLS. The NDLS comprises a central unit in the RSA and three outsourced contractors. These are a card producer for the plastic card licence, a front office to engage with the public and a back office to process applications. This service came into operation from 29 October 2013.

There were problems with the speed of processing applications in the NDLS when the system came on stream. Inevitably, these early difficulties led to the build-up of a backlog. The Minister discussed with the RSA at the time the difficulties people were experiencing and how it proposed to address them. The RSA acknowledged there were teething problems when the service opened. The authority responded by increasing resources in NDLS centres experiencing delays, as well as in the licence-processing centre and providing further training to staff.

There are no major technical difficulties now affecting the service. A booking system to allow for customers to make appointments was successfully piloted and is in use in Dublin, Cork and Tullamore. It will be extended on a phased basis to all NDLS offices. The problems which the NDLS experienced in its earlier days are now largely in the past.

In number terms, 250,071 applications have been received since the NDLS was launched on 29 October, with 242,875 of these completed. The total number of applications on hand is 7,196 with licence applications being turned around in five to eight days. Dealing with problem applications is taking longer. These are cases where the application is incomplete, or where further information or documentation is needed to process the application. This involves contacting the customer and finalisation of these applications takes several weeks.

It is evident there are significant numbers of customers who attend NDLS centres without getting their application processed because they have incomplete or incorrect documentation. Some of this arises because there is a tighter ID regime in place than before the NDLS, in line with the SAFE 2 standard. In implementing the Government’s decision to produce the plastic card licence and centralise the licensing service, the RSA was directed to do so using the SAFE 2 standard to authenticate customers' ID. An essential feature of SAFE 2 is face-to-face validation of identity. This process necessitates that customers apply in person for their driving licences or learner permits and have their photograph and signature captured digitally onsite.

Once authenticated under SAFE 2, the person does not need to have their identity verified again. NDLS enhancements under way will in due course provide additional channels through telephone supported by postal and online access for those customers who have been SAFE 2 authenticated. This means those customers who have been through an NDLS office will not have to revisit the service personally once the additional channels are in place. Work is ongoing also with the Department of Social Protection to capture customers who have been through the SAFE 2 process with that Department so as to enable those also to apply or renew licences or permits without having to attend at an NDLS office.

The Minister is continuing to monitor progress in the NDLS but, overall, he is satisfied the RSA has taken appropriate actions to address the problems which have arisen.

I also have engaged with the RSA recently on the signage for its offices in Galway. It informed me additional signage will be erected in the near future to make it easier for people to find them.

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