Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2024
185. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider reviewing a proposal (details supplied) further in relation to driver licence exchange agreement with the USA, considering the precedent which has already been agreed with Canada,; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7962/24]
View answerDriver licensing laws are intended to ensure drivers on our roads meet high safety standards. Irish driver licensing legislation operates within EU law and testing standards are set at EU level.
Ireland may make bilateral agreements on licence exchange with non-EU jurisdictions. This is not a straightforward matter and reaching an exchange agreement is not a matter of political will. It is a road safety issue, and the core principle is to ensure the continued safety of Irish road users.
Agreements can be made only when the authorities in both jurisdictions have studied and compared the licensing regimes and are satisfied that they are compatible. For Ireland, this is undertaken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
The Road Safety Authority previously explored licence 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 and road safety performance. Agreement with any one state requires taking into account the exchange relationships between that state and the other 49.
The Government's current priority is to identify countries that may be the source of professional drivers (HGV or bus drivers), given the well documented shortages faced in Ireland and across the EU in these sectors. A number of jurisdictions have been identified in this regard and licence exchange agreement work is ongoing with them.
