Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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69. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the new card style drivers' licences will be used to electronically record penalty point convictions and disqualifications; the necessary measures to be taken to allow this information be accessed by relevant State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41986/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The plastic card format of driving licence was introduced in January 2013, in line with EU requirements.  The card contains a microchip on which a limited amount of data can be recorded.

At present, the microchip is not used in Ireland.  It is intended in future to store some information on it, and this will most likely be identical to the principal information printed on the card.

The use of the chip on the card will be dependent on the availability to An Garda Síochána of reading devices which can access the data. 

While the possibility of recording penalty points and disqualifications on the chip may exist technically, we are some distance from considering whether this is one of the uses to which the chip will be put, and I would not wish to make any rash commitments at this stage.