Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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483. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has given any consideration in the absence of a license exchange programme to allowing permanent conversion of valid Canadian and US driving licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20318/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Irish driver licensing operates within a framework of EU law - the driver licensing legislation with which all Member States must comply. The standards for testing drivers are set at EU level. and all EU driving licences are exchangeable when a person moves from one Member State to another.

Ireland may make bilateral agreements on licence exchange with non-EU jurisdictions. This is not a straightforward matter. Reaching them is not a matter of political will and the core principle is to ensure the continued safety of Irish road users. Agreements may be made only when the authorities in each jurisdiction have studied and compared the licensing regimes, so that each side is satisfied that they are compatible. For Ireland, this task is undertaken by the Road Safety Authority.

In considering licence exchange agreements, Ireland is currently giving priority to countries that may be a source of professional drivers, in light of the shortages across the EU in that sector. However, the principle of ensuring the safety of Irish road users is still paramount in reaching such agreements.

People with a non-exchangeable licence who are resident in Ireland must, in order to drive here, obtain an Irish licence. A person with a full but non-exchangeable licence must go through the normal driver learning process, but can avail of shorter Essential Driver Training of 6 lessons, instead of the usual 12, and does not have to be a learner for the usual minimum of 6 months before taking a driving test.

One of the commitments of the Programme for Government 2025 is to “Work to facilitate the easier return to Ireland for emigrants, including reciprocal driving licence arrangements with the USA, Australia and Canada”. Ireland has licence exchange agreements with Australia and with seven of the ten Canadian provinces, with the technical assessment for an agreement under way with Nova Scotia, but currently does not have an agreement with the USA. The Department of Transport will be exploring how to further meet this Programme for Government commitment.