Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I agree the number of people waiting for appointments is at an unacceptably high level. I believe a further extension of the licences is the correct approach to deal with the issue. The extension is subject to EU approval and my officials have contacted the EU in that regard. We will also be prioritising work on the legislation required to get the online system up and running, which will also help to alleviate the pressure. I do not know the length of the extension. We will have to wait for the European Commission's response on that. My officials have applied to the European Commission to seek agreement to a further extension and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, will give priority to urgent cases if contacted by individuals outlining the details.

The RSA contacted the Department today to state that pending the extension of the online system, it cannot make significant inroads into dealing with the backlog and it has asked that consideration be given to further extension of the driving licences to ease those pressures. The Deputy can be assured getting this extension is a priority for me and my Department.

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