David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 249: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider making changes to current driver licensing regulations for holders of foreign licences, in particular holders of full US licences, who on being resident here for more than 12 months are required to sit and pass theory and practical driving examinations in addition to taking 12 driving lessons before they can be issued with a full Irish licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1682/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Driver licensing law in Ireland operates within the framework of EU legislation, and its purpose is to ensure a minimum level of assurance regarding the competence of people who drive on our roads. As part of the driver licensing regime, Ireland recognises and has exchange relationships with other EU Member States, whose nationals, if resident in Ireland, can therefore exchange their driving licences for the equivalent Irish licence.

In addition, we have driver licence exchange agreements with a number of countries outside the EU. These arrangements are made only following detailed examination on both sides of the mutual compatibility of licensing regimes. From Ireland's point of view, this means that we need to be assured that the licence regime in the countries in question meets EU standards. As a matter of policy, in particular with regard to the need for assurance of an adequate standard of competence to driver on our roads, and with regard to the need to maintain EU standards, I cannot change the the basis on which we accord recognition to foreign driving licences.

Where the driver licensing system in another jurisdiction is not compatible with EU standards, we cannot engage in a licence exchange relationship and must insist on testing drivers from such jurisdictions. In the case of the USA we do not have an exchange arrangement, because driver licensing in the US operates at State rather than federal level, and there are therefore many different standards applied to licences in different states. However, the six months waiting rule before sitting a driving test does not apply to applicants that come to Ireland with a full in date licence from their own country.