Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
317. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Transport if he will extend all driver licences due for renewal that cannot be extended online during the current stage of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32680/20]
View answerThere is no plan to further extend the validity of driving licences. Irish driving licence law is based on a framework of EU law, and the current extensions bring us into line with the EU legislation.
Under Covid19 Level 5 Government restrictions effective from midnight on Wednesday 21 October, for six weeks, applicants can attend an appointment at an NDLS centre provided they are an essential worker involved in the provision of essential services or essential retail outlets. Details on what is included in the list of essential workers and retail outlets is available on www.gov.ie.
The RSA is also continuing work to expand the online facility to accommodate all driving licence and learner permit application types to enable accessibility on-line rather than by calling to an office. The NDLS hopes to allow all application types to apply online by mid-November and applications for those over 70 years can be processed by post.
