Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
349. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether it is acceptable that a citizen has to wait 40 minutes on the telephone line to speak to a person in the National Driver Licence Service (details supplied). [15477/21]
View answerIn relation to the issues contacting the National Driving Licence Service, the NDLS has experienced unprecedented demand on its services due to Covid and customers can expect a considerable delay in getting to speak to a member of staff by phone or email. Delays to customers are regretted.
However, I would point out that the NDLS website, www.ndls.ie has a huge amount of information on it, and should be able to provide the answers to most customer queries. Customers also have the option of emailing info@ndls.ie where their query will be answered as quickly as possible.
In relation to the NDLS contacting the authorities in the UK to get British National Insurance Numbers, not only would this consitutute a serious breach of GDPR regulations, but a UK National Insurance Number is not required to exchange a UK driving licence. Details of the documents required to exchange a UK driving licence can be found on the NDLS website. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the documentation which the NDLS requires when making an application for a licence exchange.
The National Driving Licence Service is not a commercial enterprise, but rather a public service that is fundamental to not only road safety but the effective enforcement of road traffic law, and so it must operate in a manner that balances its statutory functions with an appropriate level of service.
