Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice for raising this very important issue. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, people resident in Ireland will no longer be able to drive on a UK driving licence. At present, we recognise other EU member state driving licences, but when the UK leaves the EU the UK will no longer be a member state and so the driving licence will not be recognised.

The Road Safety Authority, RSA, through the National Driver Licence Service, NDLS, is informing people to avail of the exchange facility in place to swap over the UK licence for an Irish licence before that facility extinguishes in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Legislation exists to allow for the recognition of foreign driving licences for exchange purposes in section 23A of the Road Traffic Act 1961. If there is a no-deal Brexit, the UK becomes a third country and the potential then exists for arrangements to be made under section 23A. Ireland will be pursuing this option. This may take a little time to complete as it involves the signing of a formal agreement with the UK and the introduction of secondary legislation here in Ireland. People who are not resident in the State, such as those visiting or on a temporary stay from the UK, do not need to exchange their licence.

Deputy Fitzmaurice referred to the waiting times. The NDLS is experiencing significantly increased demand and extra resources are being put in place to maintain the current ten days application processing time. Many NDLS centres have extended their opening hours by opening an hour earlier at 8 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m. or 6.30 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., resulting in a total of 220 extra opening hours this week across the network across the country. The extra opening hours are helping to meet demand. Priority is being given to UK licence exchanges with 38 staff working on UK licence exchange alone. Up to 600 licence exchanges are being processed daily. When attending any of the 36 NDLS centres nationally to apply for a learner permit, a driving licence, to exchange a driving licence or for any other reason, it is recommended that an appointment be made. Due to the demand for UK licence exchanges, it may not be possible to make an appointment in time before the 12 April deadline.

The NDLS also provides approximately 1,300 slots per day for walk-in appointments. There will be a longer wait time for walk ins, which Deputy Fitzmaurice referred to, but I am informed that no-one has been turned away from a centre and that the queues are not too long. The walk-in slots equate to about 50% of the total slots available. Walk-in visits are encouraged before 11 a.m. and after 3 p.m. to avoid peak times. Details of the centres’ opening hours are available on www.ndls.iealong with all the necessary application forms and frequently asked questions. It is not practical to add more online appointment slots for booking as this will take away from the walk-in slots. There is no way to differentiate between a normal licence renewal and an exchange licence when booking an appointment online. This could cause significant queues if the online slots are taken up by less urgent renewals versus the exchanges. As a consequence, booking availability has been increased from four to six weeks ahead to facilitate those who may be renewing a licence or learner permit and are not in an immediate rush. This has helped to reduce the pressure and allow more walk-in slots for exchange applications.

It is not possible to hand in a UK driving licence at a NDLS centre and walk out with an Irish licence. Due diligence must be completed to make sure the licence holder is entitled to the category of licence that is on their licence and this could require contacting the original licensing authority to ensure that there are no endorsements or disqualifications on the licence. Ireland, as an EU member state, is obliged under Directive 2006/126/EC to carry out such due diligence when giving consideration to exchanging a driving licence for an EU member state licence.

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