Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will all classifications of UK driving licence be converted to Irish licences? After the fact, does the Minister intend to conclude a bilateral agreement with the UK? While we are speaking specifically today about UK licences in the context of Brexit, there is an overall absence of common sense in our approach to recognising the competency of drivers from elsewhere in the world. I give the example of someone returning from the USA after 30 years who had a licence in Ireland before he or she left. That person cannot get an Irish licence again without being forced to undergo mandatory training, a driving test and status as an accompanied driver simply because we do not have a particular agreement with the USA. We have them with South Korea and East Timor. Broadly speaking, the Department must instruct the driving licence authority to conclude bilateral agreements with these other nations which are not covered. There are a great many people in this position but while we say we want to welcome returning emigrants, we make it very difficult for them to obtain licences when they come home. That has implications for them getting insurance. More broadly, the Minister must be more proactive about acknowledging the competency of returning emigrants, not just those from the UK.

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