Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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243. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the provisions in place for Irish citizens living abroad who have lost or had stolen their full Irish driving licence and who cannot return here to present to a NDLS office to seek a replacement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6491/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Irish driver licensing law operates within a framework of EU legislation. Under EU law, driving licences may be issued only to people normally resident in this jurisdiction.

Under national legislation governing driver licensing, the default procedure is for applicants to appear in person at an office of the National Driver Licensing Service (NDLS) to apply for a licence. However, following difficulties which became apparent following the introduction of the NDLS in 2013, an amendment was made in summer of 2014, allowing that people normally resident in Ireland but abroad for a period for study or work reasons could apply for a licence by post. Replacement licences may therefore be sought in this way.

However, in accordance with EU rules, a person who is normally resident in another jurisdiction may not renew their licence once it expires. If they are resident in another EU Member State, or in a state with which Ireland has a mutual licence exchange agreement, they should exchange their licence for the equivalent from their new state of residence.