Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

171. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a driving test exemption for farmers who hold a full car or jeep and trailer licence for more than ten years but did not hold it prior to the 1989 regulations coming into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47461/14]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I presume that the Deputy is referring to a previous situation involving people - not only farmers - who had held a full licence before November 1989.  The situation was that, before that time, there was no separate category of licence for drawing a trailer.  Anyone who had a car licence was automatically licenced to drive with a trailer.  In November of 1989 there was a change to categories which meant that people now needed a separate licence category to draw a trailer.  Holders of a full licence before that date were entitled to apply for both new categories on renewal of the licence.  

It appears that some people did not realise this and applied only for the car category when renewing after 1989, and so, perhaps unintentionally, gave up their trailer entitlement.  People in this position were able to reclaim the lost entitlement for up to ten years after it had lapsed.  The last people in this position were those who received a full licence just before the change in late 1989.  They would have lost their entitlement on renewal in late 1999 and lost the option to reclaim it in late 2009.

In 2013, my predecessor responded to this situation by requesting the Road Safety Authority to allow those who had held a full licence before the change of 1989, and who had inadvertently surrendered it on renewal, to regain the trailer entitlement without a test.  It was made clear at the time that this was a once-off arrangement for people who had already been legally entitled to draw a trailer in the past, and it will not be repeated.