Written answers
Thursday, 2 October 2025
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
Driver Licences
Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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245. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of learner permit holders, by county, who were disqualified in court in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; the number that surrendered their learner permit to the Road Safety Authority; the number who were prosecuted for failing to surrender their learner permit to the RSA; the number convicted of the offence; the penalties delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52834/25]
Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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246. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of learner permit holders disqualified in court in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025 whereby the offence could not be matched automatically to the correct learner permit holder; the number of learner permit cases that the RSA attempted to match through a manual search; the number that were successfully matched to a record; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52835/25]
Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 246 together.
Table 1 below details the number of learner permit holders, by county, who were disqualified in court in 2023, 2024 and to 31 August 2025 and the number that surrendered their learner permit to the Road Safety Authority.
A notification of disqualification is issued by the Courts Service for drivers convicted of a court disqualification, the notification includes the requirement to surrender the driving licence or learner permit to the Road Safety Authority within 14 days of commencement of disqualification.
It is important to note that, while the non-surrender of licences is of concern, the more important issue from a road safety perspective is that the disqualification from driving is observed. The individuals in question are fully aware of the Court's decision and the disqualification from driving is in effect regardless of whether their licence is surrendered.
An Garda Síochána have access to the NVDF as part of their Mobility Strategy and therefore can detect and prosecute a driver who continues to drive while disqualified. This is the case whether a licence has been surrendered or not.
The Department shares information on non-surrender of licences with An Garda Síochána but does not maintain records on additional convictions and penalties for drivers who have failed to surrender their licences. This is the responsibility of the Department of Justice.
Table 1
| County | 2023 Court DQs | 2023 Surrendered | 2023 Surrendered % | 2024 Court DQs | 2024 Surrendered | 2024 Surrendered % | 2025 Court DQs | 2025 Surrendered | 2025 Surrendered % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARLOW | 24 | 1 | 4.17% | 30 | 4 | 13.33% | 22 | 0 | 0.00% |
| CAVAN | 38 | 3 | 7.89% | 25 | 1 | 4.00% | 27 | 1 | 3.70% |
| CLARE | 37 | 1 | 2.70% | 36 | 0 | 0.00% | 36 | 1 | 2.78% |
| CORK | 230 | 10 | 4.35% | 211 | 18 | 8.53% | 156 | 8 | 5.13% |
| DONEGAL | 42 | 2 | 4.76% | 33 | 1 | 3.03% | 34 | 3 | 8.82% |
| DUBLIN | 591 | 23 | 3.89% | 540 | 13 | 2.41% | 488 | 12 | 2.46% |
| GALWAY | 72 | 7 | 9.72% | 78 | 4 | 5.13% | 71 | 6 | 8.45% |
| KERRY | 50 | 2 | 4.00% | 46 | 2 | 4.35% | 25 | 0 | 0.00% |
| KILDARE | 93 | 5 | 5.38% | 75 | 3 | 4.00% | 64 | 4 | 6.25% |
| KILKENNY | 35 | 2 | 5.71% | 27 | 3 | 11.11% | 28 | 3 | 10.71% |
| LAOIS | 58 | 1 | 1.72% | 48 | 1 | 2.08% | 27 | 3 | 11.11% |
| LEITRIM | 11 | 1 | 9.09% | 4 | 1 | 25.00% | 6 | 0 | 0.00% |
| LIMERICK | 111 | 6 | 5.41% | 90 | 3 | 3.33% | 78 | 3 | 3.85% |
| LONGFORD | 26 | 2 | 7.69% | 18 | 0 | 0.00% | 24 | 0 | 0.00% |
| LOUTH | 54 | 2 | 3.70% | 52 | 0 | 0.00% | 30 | 1 | 3.33% |
| MAYO | 34 | 1 | 2.94% | 26 | 1 | 3.85% | 36 | 3 | 8.33% |
| MEATH | 60 | 0 | 0.00% | 52 | 2 | 3.85% | 63 | 3 | 4.76% |
| MONAGHAN | 20 | 0 | 0.00% | 15 | 1 | 6.67% | 19 | 0 | 0.00% |
| OFFALY | 43 | 0 | 0.00% | 41 | 2 | 4.88% | 39 | 3 | 7.69% |
| ROSCOMMON | 26 | 1 | 3.85% | 23 | 1 | 4.35% | 23 | 2 | 8.70% |
| SLIGO | 20 | 3 | 15.00% | 7 | 0 | 0.00% | 8 | 0 | 0.00% |
| TIPPERARY | 117 | 3 | 2.56% | 84 | 5 | 5.95% | 70 | 1 | 1.43% |
| WATERFORD | 58 | 1 | 1.72% | 39 | 2 | 5.13% | 32 | 0 | 0.00% |
| WESTMEATH | 33 | 1 | 3.03% | 32 | 1 | 3.13% | 50 | 3 | 6.00% |
| WEXFORD | 71 | 0 | 0.00% | 67 | 4 | 5.97% | 54 | 1 | 1.85% |
| WICKLOW | 52 | 2 | 3.85% | 57 | 5 | 8.77% | 38 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Total | 2,006 | 80 | 3.99% | 1,756 | 78 | 4.44% | 1,548 | 61 | 3.94% |
Table 2 below details the number of drivers disqualified in court in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and the number of these that could not be matched to a driving licence. Unmatched records can include foreign licence holders, unlicensed individuals, and unmatched Irish licence holders. The nature of the latter cohort (unmatched Irish licence holders) means we are unable to tell if they are learner permit holders.
Table 2
| - | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver Disqualified in Court | 7,833 | 8,969 | 7,861 |
| Number Unmatched to Drivers | 1,859 | 2,113 | 1,904 |
| % Unmatched | 23.7% | 23.6% | 24.2% |
Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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247. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if primary legislation is required to introduce a requirement on learners applying for a renewal of a learner permit after seven years of holding a permit, to begin the learning to drive process from the start; the timeframe to introduce such a provision in law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52836/25]
Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that the Department is committed, under Action 7B of the Road Safety Strategy Phase 2 Action Plan, to addressing the matter of learner drivers with multiple successive learner permits. It is intended to require learner permit holders to complete a driver test prior to renewal after holding a permit for 4 years.
It is also intended that any application for renewal after 7 years of holding a learner permit will be treated as a first learner permit application, requiring the learner to begin the learning to drive process from the start (theory test, learner permit, 12 Essential Driver Training lessons, practical test).
The Department is working on secondary legislation to provide for the changes and the RSA is in the process of finalising an implementation plan.
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