Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Section 8 recognises foreign licences and provides that the Minister may, by order, recognise a driving licence issued by another country for the purpose of exchanging it for an Irish one. This does not happen automatically. Driving licence exchange arrangements operate in respect of licences issued by member states of the European Union and European Economic Area. These arrangements are based on provisions of the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 1999.

On the issue of exchange arrangements pertaining to licences issued by states outside the European Union, a number of countries, such as Australia, South Africa, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, Jersey and the Isle of Man, have been declared recognised states for licence exchange purposes by order under the regulations. It is now considered that the power in the regulations to declare such countries as recognised states may be ultra vires and require primary legislative provision and therefore section 8 is included in the Bill.

Foreign licences are only recognised for exchange purposes where the licensing system in the foreign country in question meets the standards required by the EU directive on driver licensing and where there is reciprocal recognition of Irish driving licences in that country. It is interesting to note that Great Britain and Northern Ireland do not have a reciprocal arrangement with Ireland in respect of penalty points. We are in discussions with the United Kingdom at official level to bring one about and I have discussed the matter with my UK counterpart. There should be a reciprocal arrangement and it is important that it includes both the Republic and Northern Ireland.

The recognition of penalty points throughout Europe is very much at the embryonic stage and the Minister and I would like to see further developments in this regard. If a foreign licence is exchanged, the licensee then holds an Irish licence but a licence issued in another member state does not attract penalty points awarded on Irish roads. We are anxious to pursue this and I hope some progress can be made at European level.