Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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393. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the driving disqualification court order information sent from the Courts Service to the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS) can only be endorsed automatically onto the driver file record database, where a driver number has been included in the order, and matches a driver record on the NVDF; the length of time that those that cannot be matched to the driver record, remain on his Department of Transport's 'shell' records; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19139/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Driving Disqualification court order information is sent electronically from the Courts Service to the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS), operated by the Road Safety Authority (RSA). This information is then endorsed on driver records on the Department of Transport's National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF).

If a court order cannot be matched automatically against an Irish driver record, a manual search is carried out by the NDLS to attempt to match the record. In the event that a match cannot be found a ‘shell’ record is created on the NVDF to track the court order. A shell record is required for example to record a disqualification where the driver has a foreign driving licence or never held a Irish driving licence

A shell record remains on the NVDF for the period of the disqualification. Shell records can also convert into a licence holding record where a subsequent successful match is made by the RSA.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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395. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to confirm that from March 2025, the nightly file from his Department to An Garda Siochána includes the disqualification status of every driving licence and includes the driver number; if the information is provided with a real-time view of the driving licence status, to be used by frontline Gardaí on mobility devices at the roadside; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19141/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The nightly file from my Department to An Garda Siochána includes the disqualification status of every driving licence and includes the driver number. The driving licence status is effectively real time and up to date to within 24 hours. It is a matter for An Garda Siochána to determine the manner in which these data are made available to frontline Gardaí.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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396. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 286 of 1 April 2025, the number of Irish licence holders included in the 'shell' record figures he supplied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19142/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The shell records consist of drivers who never had a licence, drivers for whom a licence has not been presented in court and-foreign-licensed drivers (who have no Irish licence). Due to the nature of the issue we do not have sufficient data on the second cohort (drivers for whom a licence has not been presented in court) to determine if they are Irish licence holders. However, extensive efforts are undertaken to match records wherever possible and minimise the numbers in this cohort.