Under Section 5 of the Road Traffic Act 2014, insurers access the Department of Transport's National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) to verify the number of penalty points endorsed on a licence.
The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 extends this access to endorsement details, including disqualifications, and access for intermediaries sanctioned to enter contracts on behalf of a vehicle insurer. Data will be available in real time and there will be no charge for access.
Officials in my Department continue to engage with the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland and Insurance Ireland to implement access to the NVDF for intermediaries, access to disqualifications for insurers and intermediaries, and for the capture and verification of driver number by insurers and intermediaries.
My Department has been advised that many IT systems in the industry are not yet ready for these changes and work is ongoing to enable the additional access. This is likely to happen in a phased manner over the coming months.
Once data-sharing agreements are agreed, my Department will be able to provide endorsement access for intermediaries to the NVDF. I hope this element will be implemented before Q3. It is currently anticipated that the industry will be ready for driver number capture and verification by year end. The Department expects to be able to provide disqualification data in early 2025.
I intend to bring forward Commencement Orders once there is more certainty about the above timelines and the systems are in place on both sides to enable implementation of the legislation.
