Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 May 2022
253. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if he will amend the existing trailer-towing licensing rules in order that those who have years of experience of towing trailers are not required to undergo testing. [23394/22]
View answerPrior to 1989, a car and trailer could be driven under a car licence alone. Licence categories were then changed, with separate categories covering Category B (cars and light vehicles) and Category BE (car or light vehicle and trailer). People licensed to drive with a trailer before 1989 were allowed to keep this entitlement by indicating this on the application form when renewing their licences. The entitlement could be restored up to ten years after last holding it. If the entitlement to drive with a trailer has lapsed for longer, drivers must apply as learners for the purposes of driving with a trailer.
In 2013, the then Minister for Transport received representations from the Irish Farmers’ Association, suggesting that many farmers who had a pre-1989 car licence had unintentionally lost their trailer entitlement when renewing their licences. The Minister agreed, on a once-off basis, to allow people in this position - whether farmers or not - to reclaim the trailer entitlement where they could prove that they had previously held it. The Road Safety Authority made arrangements to accommodate drivers in this position for a limited period (up to November 2013).
It remains the case that where a person has held the BE category on their driving licence at any time in the last ten years, they can have the category added to their licence without the need to sit a driving test.
