Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Murphy for his question. He is pretty fast out of the traps.

​Following the referendum in the UK on leaving the European Union, the UK remains an EU member state for the time being. It is the understanding of the Government of Ireland that the UK intends at some point to invoke Article 50 of the European treaties, following which there is a two-year period during which future relations between the UK and EU will be negotiated. The issue of driver licence recognition is one of a great many matters which will have to be resolved between the UK and the EU during the negotiations. ​As in all other matters relating to the departure of the UK from the EU, it would be premature to speculate on any possible outcome to negotiations which have yet to begin.

Whatever the outcome of the negotiations with regard to the recognition of UK licences within the EU, Irish driving licence holders will be able to drive in the UK and UK licence holders will be able to drive here for up to one year as visitors under International Road Traffic Conventions which apply in both Ireland and the UK independently of EU provisions. Similarly, depending on the outcome of the negotiations, Irish authorities may be able to make bilateral arrangements, similar to those applying to other non-EU states, for the exchange of UK driving licences for Irish ones.

I am sorry that I cannot be more specific in my response to Deputy Murphy on this matter. It is a little early for these decisions to have been made, although I understand the Deputy is already receiving queries on the issue.

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