Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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390. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if an effort can be made to renew urgently driving licences for those whose licences have expired and who due to Covid-19-related delays cannot get a prompt renewal but require a valid licence for driving internationally for work. [15782/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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A further extension to the expiry dates of driving licences was introduced from March, following the new revision to the relevant EU legislation, which was made 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, as follows:

- Any licence holder, who has not already renewed, and whose licence expired between 1 March 2020 and 31 May 2020 will have a new expiry date of 1 July 2021. 

- Any licence holder, who has not already renewed, and whose licence expired between 1 June 2020 and 31 August 2020 will have thirteen months (which includes the previous extension) added to their expiry date. By way of example a licence which expired on 31 August 2020 will have a new expiry date of 30 September 2021.

- Any licence holder, who has not already renewed and whose licence expiry date is between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021 will have an extra ten months added to their expiry date. By way of example a licence which expires on 30 June 2021 will have a new expiry date of 30 April 2022.

Drivers who are affected by the extension are encouraged to check the new expiry date of their driving licence by using the expiry date calculator on www.ndls.ie.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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391. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a person (details supplied) will be permitted to renew their licence as a matter of priority in view of the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15813/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The recent extensions to the validity of driving licences was granted under EU Regulation 2021/267 and are recognised across all EU Member States.

A driving licence can not be renewed more than 3 months before the date of expiry of the licence. A licence due to expire in June 2021 will now have a new expiry date in April 2022.