Marian Harkin
Question:124. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18615/20]
View answerTuesday, 28 July 2020
Questions (124)
Written answers
Ireland does not have an agreement with the United States of America for the exchange of driving licences. Driving licence exchange agreements are only made when the relevant authorities (the Road Safety Authority in Ireland) in each jurisdiction have studied and compared the two licensing regimes, so that each side can be satisfied that they are compatible. Irish driver licensing law operates within a framework of EU law, and the standards for testing drivers are set at EU level.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has previously explored reaching agreement on exchange with the USA. However, US driver licensing operates at state rather than federal level, meaning that there are 50 licensing systems with widely varying standards. Agreement with any one state would mean taking into account the exchange relations between that state and the other 49. The RSA determined that agreement would not be possible.
When people come to Ireland with a non-exchange licence, we have no option but to require them to go through the process of obtaining an Irish licence. This is a matter of public safety. While many may have a safe driving record, we have no way of measuring this.
At present, people with a full but non-exchange licence go through the normal driver learning process, but can avail of the shorter Essential Driver Training of 6 lessons instead of the usual 12, and will not have to wait the usual minimum of 6 months before taking a driving test. Taking some lessons is useful in helping people to adjust to Irish driving rules and conditions and in preparing people for the driving test.