Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

79. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the length of the backlog for the renewal of driver licences; his plans to address the backlogs in the application process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15569/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As at week ending 14 March 2021, standard applications for driving licences are taking on average 17 working days to process by the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), which is provided by the Road Safety Authority (RSA). Online applications that do not require review are taking 1 day to process. Postal applications are taking on average 21 days, while applications for the exchange of UK/NI licences for Irish licences are taking on average 29 working days.

The averages provided for postal applications and UK licence exchages are mainly due to applications where there was a delay in processing due to customers having to reply to discrepancies in their applications.

A further extension to the expiry dates of driving licences has been introduced in response to the continued disruption caused by Covid-19 to driver licensing services in Ireland and across the EU. The extension will apply to different groups of licence holders including those who benefited from extensions in 2020, with all relevant licences extended to at least 1st July 2021. This extension will ease the pressure on the NDLS and enable any backlog to be addressed.