Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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850. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question Number 815 of 6 April 2016, why the National Driver Licence Service does not provide any facility on its website or elsewhere to submit applications by post or online for the renewal of driving licences issued by it since January 2013; why it does not process applications for renewal by post, but requires persons who have already presented once at one of its centres to present again in order to have their license renewed; and why it has not made provision for postal or online renewal to date. [6752/16]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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851. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport why holders of new National Driver Licence Service issued licences must submit applications for renewal in person at its centres, which then posts those forms to a processing centre run by Abtran in County Cork; why persons cannot post those forms to the processing centre; the source of the funding for the extra cost involved in the additional step created by the requirement that persons present their applications for renewal in person at a National Driver Licence Service centre in the absence of any postal or online facility for submission; and if this system, as it is constituted, represents a cost effective and efficient solution. [6791/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 850 and 851 together.

As I indicated in the response referred to by the Deputy, the reason for asking people to appear in person at an office of the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) is a matter of ID verification and security, and is set out in regulations. Legally, the option exists for the NDLS to introduce an online system, and I understand that the Road Safety Authority (RSA), which operates the NDLS, is examining  this. However, as this is an operational matter for the RSA, I have referred the matter to the Authority for direct reply.​

In regard to the question of posting applications to the NDLS processing office rather than the NDLS front office, this too is a matter of the internal operation of the NDLS, and therefore a matter which is the statutory responsibility of the RSA. I have therefore referred this matter also to the Authority for direct reply.

I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.