I raise this matter on the Adjournment simply because I believe the Minister for Local Government does not really appreciate the importance of the question I have tabled. I have had several representations from constituents because of their difficulties in this respect and I appeal to the Minister to reconsider the position and to enter into some agreement with his opposite number in Stormont involving reciprocal arrangements. Many people, particularly in my constituency, are affected by this law. I understand that under the present law the Minister cannot do anything about it. However, it is a bad law and the Minister should change it. After all, that would only be democracy working as it should work. That is why we elect Governments: if we believe in democracy, we elect a Government to bring in laws suited to the people's needs, laws which the people want. Against that background, I implore the Minister to enter into preliminary talks with his opposite number in Belfast with a view to arriving at a reciprocal agreement with that authority.
Having been elected to the House to represent a Border constituency I have no doubt you, Sir, have come across many of the difficulties I have posed in my question. Let us consider the case of a clergyman of any denomination who is transferred from Derry to Donegal. In Derry, he had been a licensed driver during 20 or 30 years but when he arrives in Donegal, he must do a driving test. Having driven all those years in Northern Ireland, he must here submit himself to a test. Let us take the case of a person who gets married and goes from one side of the Border to the other. He, too, is caught in the trap.
Our Road Traffic Act is recognised as being a reasonably good code. It shows that an attempt has been made by a Fianna Fáil Government to bring in reasonably good legislation to control the issue of driving licences. On both sides of the Border, this legislation has been recognised as being good and therefore there is no reason why the Minister should feel embarrassed by entering into preliminary negotiations with his opposite number in Stormont, with a view to the recognition here of driving licences issued by the Northern Ireland authorities and of their recognising our driving licences. For instance, I cannot see why a person in Bundoran—we heard a lot about Bundoran during the past week or fortnight——