Noel Coonan (Fine Gael)

I support the comments of Senator Brian Hayes on aspects of road safety. I would like the Leader to take up the issue of driving licences and the delay in the driving test with the Minister for Transport. This relates to a certain sector of the population, particularly in rural areas. People are driving with full no-claims bonuses but do not have a licence because they did not renew it within the allotted time. What is the difference between me, who renewed my licence in time, and somebody who has been driving all his or her life and has not renewed it on time? Those people are currently stranded. They have no licence and are not allowed to drive unless they are accompanied. The Minister should excuse those people and grant them their licences. They are largely middle aged and elderly people who have been driving all their lives and hold full no-claims bonuses. They are entitled to their licences and it is only because of a bureaucratic hiccup that they did not renew them on time. This issue has nothing to do with road safety and needs to be addressed as it inconveniences thousands of people throughout the country.