asked the Minister for the Environment if he will immediately grant a driving licence to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who passed his driving test on 8 September 1981, was told by Wexford County Council that he would not qualify until his existing provisional licence expired, subsequently lost his certificate and then applied to his Department for a duplicate in December 1982 which he did not receive and as a result has had to take the test again.
Written Answers. - Driving Licence.
257.
A certificate of competency was issued on 8 September 1981 to a person having a similar surname but an address different to that mentioned in the question. This certificate, together with a current provisional licence, would have allowed an application by the person for a full driving licence until 8 March 1983. The person's provisional licence expired on 23 August 1982 and the relevant licensing authority, Wexford County Council, have no record of an application either for a further provisional or a full driving licence. The certificate of competency would therefore have ceased to be valid on 8 March 1983. There is no record in my Department of the loss of the certificate being reported during the period of its validity or of a duplicate being requested.
Neither I nor Wexford County Council have power to waive the legal requirement in this case of a new certificate of competency before an application for a full driving licence can be granted.