Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1229. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a car and trailer licence in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [12836/14]
View answerTuesday, 25 March 2014
Questions (1229)
Written answers
The operation of the National Driver Licensing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), and I have no power to intervene in individual cases. The general point at issue here arises from a change to driver licensing law in 1989. Before the change there was a single licence category which covered driving of a car and driving of a car with trailer. After the change there were two separate categories. Drivers who had a full licence before the change were entitled to both of the new categories when renewing their licences. Some people did not tick the box for the car-plus-trailer category, and therefore lost their trailer entitlement. They were entitled to reclaim that category for up to ten years. Obviously, that period has long passed. Last year, following representations from the Irish Farmers Association, among others, I asked the RSA, on a once-off basis, to allow people who inadvertently lost their trailer entitlement in this way to reclaim it. The significance of 13 November 1989 is that this was the date on which the licence reforms in question came into effect.