Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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220. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the changes that have been made to drivers licence category D in recent years, including the retiring age from driving and the turnover of these licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27610/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Irish driver licensing legislation operates within the framework of EU legislation.  The principal EU legislation in relation to driver licensing is Directive 126 of 2006.  This sets definitions for the different vehicle categories, requirements of the format of licences, content of tests, and standards for vehicles used in test.  That Directive sets a minimum age of 24 to hold a category D licence and provides that category D licences should have a period of validity of five years.  These requirements are transposed into Irish law by the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 6 of 2013), which came into effect as of 19 January 2013.

The Directive allows Member States the option of limiting the validity period of licences due to age.  Ireland has a long-standing policy of treating 70 years of age as the cut-off point in these terms.  Therefore, an applicant for a category D licence who is 65 to 67 years of age will receive a licence valid until the day before they turn 70.  An applicant over 67 will receive a three year licence.  When applying for a licence over the age of 70 in any category, an applicant must provide a medical report indicating their continuing fitness to driver.  There is no ‘retirement age.’