Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2020
273. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding driver licence appointments for those seeking to exchange their UK driver licence in exchange for an Irish driver licence before Brexit as in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34909/20]
View answerThe Road Safety Authority (RSA) is responsible for the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS). All applications for a driving licence, including a licence exchange, must be made through the NDLS.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) , through the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), is working to expand the current online facility to accommodate all driving licence and learner permit applications to enable accessibility online rather than by calling to an office.
The necessary legislative amendments to facilitate the online system have been made and the regulations came into effect on the 9th November. The NDLS plans to allow all application types to apply online from this week on. A Public Services Card and a verified MyGovID account will be required to access the online system.
This may help ease some of the pressure on the NDLS, free up appointment slots and make it easier to find those slots at local centres.
Under Covid19 Level 5 Government restrictions effective from midnight on Wednesday 21 October, for six weeks, applicants can attend an appointment at a National Driver Licence Service (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.
