Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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While I cannot comment on individual cases, I would be happy to explain the legal position and address the more general issue.

Under international road traffic conventions, a person who is not the holder of an Irish driving licence may drive in this jurisdiction for up to a year on a visitor basis. An individual who is resident in the USA and holds an American driving licence may therefore drive in Ireland as a visitor.

Under EU law we may issue licences only to persons normally resident in the jurisdiction. A US resident visiting Ireland would not be eligible for an Irish driving licence or, by extension, an Irish driving test.

It would appear that there is a failure by the motor insurance companies to cater for persons who are not normally resident in the State but spend a few months of the year here on an intermittent basis.

Oversight of the motor insurance industry rests with the Central Bank, which in turn comes within the remit of the Department of Finance. My Department raised this issue with the Department of Finance in January 2017, following publication of the Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance. That Department noted the broad issue as one appropriate for their discussions with the insurance industry and Insurance Ireland in particular over the coming months regarding relevant actions in the Report.

The Deputy may also be aware that there is a Declined Cases Agreement mechanism, which is used where a person has been refused motor insurance by a number of insurers.