Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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184. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to include in the exchange of all category D1 and D1E UK driver licences to Irish driver licences those with code 1 and code 101; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7401/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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UK licence categories with a code 1 or 101 are not accepted when exchanging a UK driving licence for an Irish one, as per the Memorandum of Understanding on the exchange of driving licences agreed between Ireland and the UK.

Some UK categories known as ‘National Categories’ [similar to our W Tractor] only apply in the UK and they are not exchangeable. Other categories may be given with restrictions identified by codes. These categories with national codes are valid only for driving in the territory of the issuing authority. For example, in the UK if you passed your test for category B (car) before 1 January 1997, your licence would show entitlement D1 and D1E (bus) categories with a restriction code of 101. The D1 and D1E categories with a restriction code 101 only allows the driver to drive a vehicle not for hire or reward. We do not have the corresponding category and so cannot exchange it.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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185. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties faced by drivers in possession of Canadian driver licences in exchanging them for Irish driver licences; the Canadian provinces with which Ireland has a reciprocal arrangement; the action being taken to extend reciprocal arrangements with the remaining Canadian provinces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7424/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has entered into driving licence exchange agreements with 6 of the Canadian provinces to date. These provinces are Ontario, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Exchange agreements can be made only when the relevant authorities in each jurisdiction have studied and compared the two licensing regimes, so that each side can be satisfied that they are compatible. On the Irish side, this task is undertaken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

Canadian licences are issued by the government of the province or territory in which the driver is residing. Thus, specific regulations relating to driver's licences vary province to province, thoughoverall they are quite similar.

The RSA will continue to work on agreements with the remaining Canadian provinces.