Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will review the regulations governing the new driver licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52620/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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This question is in relation to the regulations governing the new driving licence.

I understand that the Deputy is interested in whether we could put emergency medical information on the new plastic card driving licence.  This would involve details such as blood group, allergies to penicillin, for example, and perhaps contact information for next of kin.

The requirement to switch to a plastic card driver licence, and also the format of the licence, are set out in EU legislation, which I have transposed into Irish legislation in line with EU requirements.  The precise format of the licence was set out in Commission Directive 2011/94/EU, which is now transposed into Irish law through the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 330 of 2012). 

The EU requirements cover the design of the card and the categories of information to be included on the face of the licence.  There is a relatively small amount of space left for Member States to add other printed information.  I have decided that this will be used to include an indication of willingness to be an organ donor, should the holder wish. 

While there would not be sufficient space to print much additional information, there is a facility for the licence to contain a microchip.  Discussions are currently taking place regarding the information that will be contained on the active chip.  There may be data protection and privacy issues, though, and it could be legally difficult to make the inclusion of medical information mandatory.   However, I am certainly willing to consider emergency information as something which might be included there.