Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has met with representatives of the photo ID industry to address their concerns over a threat to their livelihood by changes to the driver licence format; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15049/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

EU Directive 2006/126EC requires the introduction by Member States of a plastic card driver licence with effect from 19th January 2013. For this country, this involved a change of the procedures and practices associated with the old paper style licences. With the introduction of the new style licence, the Government decided to centralise the driver licence service under the Road Safety Authority (RSA). On 12th January this year, the RSA became the driver licensing authority for the country and decided to operate the service mainly through three outsourced contracts related to licence production, back-office processing and front-office customer interface.

The RSA had full responsibility for all aspects of the conditions of these contracts and for the tendering and procurement processes leading to their award.

I understand that the procurement process for each of the contracts has now been completed. The issue of photo ID associated with driver licence applications is included in the front-office customer interface contract that, I understand, has been awarded to SGS. Queries related to the operation of this contract should be directed to the RSA.