Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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480. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress which has been made to extend the number of jurisdictions with which a reciprocal agreement is in place for the purpose of driving licence exchange; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties which are being faced by emigrants returning home from countries with which no such mutual agreement exists but where they hold a valid driving licence as issued by the competent licensing authority in the relevant jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43746/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Ireland has driver licence exchange with all other EU Member States as a part of EU law, and in addition has bilateral agreements with a number of other jurisdictions.  The list of jurisdictions with which we have bilateral agreements is available on the website of the Road Safety Authority (RSA). 

In August, I signed into effect the most recent agreement, which is with British Columbia.  This represents the fourth Canadian province with which we have such an agreement, and these four provinces represent over half of the Canadian population.

It is important to understand that driver licensing exists in the interests of public safety.  We test drivers to a high standard to ensure, insofar as we can, that they are fit to drive safely on our roads.  When an agreement with another jurisdiction is proposed, the RSA and the licensing authorities in the other jurisdiction must compare the two systems so that each side may be satisfied that the two regimes apply comparable standards.  We cannot make agreements with particular jurisdictions because it may be convenient, at the expense of safety.

Where there are no such agreements in place, drivers taking up residence here must pass through the Irish learner system.  I recognise that this creates a burden in terms of time, cost, and inconvenience.  My officials have been in discussion with the Minister for the Diaspora on how we can reduce this burden. 

The major source of both time and cost is that people in this situation are currently required to undergo the 12-lesson 'Essential Driver Training' programme before taking the driving test.  I believe that this burden can be significantly reduced, and my officials are currently discussing details of how to do so with the RSA with a view to having a shorter programme in place early next year.