Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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528. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce a facility to enable persons who live abroad to renew their Irish driving licences remotely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35833/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​I am happy to be able to inform the Deputy that such a facility already exists. When the centralised National Driver Licensing Service (NDLS) was introduced in 2013, it was a requirement that people should appear in person at an NDLS centre when renewing their driving licences.  This caused difficulties for people temporarily abroad for work or study reasons.  The regulations were therefore changed in 2014 to enable people who were abroad in such circumstances to renew their licences by post. The Deputy may wish to note that, under EU law, we may issue driving licences only to people normally resident in our jurisdiction.  'Normal residence' includes people whose normal residence is here but who are abroad temporarily for work or study.  However, if a person has taken up residence abroad they are no longer entitled to renew their Irish driving licence.