asked the Minister for the Environment if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 14 in which it appears that he has been unfairly treated in regard to the renewal of a driving licence.
Written Answers. - Renewal of Driving Licence.
28.
The problem in this case concerns a driving licence which has been endorsed.
Section 37 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, provides for the carry over of endorsements on a driving licence to subsequent driving licences. Under this provision a person whose licence has been endorsed must, before he can obtain a licence free from that endorsement, satisfy the licensing authority that he has held a driving licence either during a continuous period of not less than three years or a series of discontinuous periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than five years after the date of the original endorsement.
A three year licence held by the person referred to by the Deputy was endorsed on 11 April 1983. This licence expired on 15 July 1984. He applied for and was granted a one-year licence on 16 July 1984 expiring on 15 July 1985. This licence was not, however, renewed until he applied for and was granted a further one-year licence on 30 September 1985. The five year rule referred to must, therefore, apply.
The earliest date on which this person will be entitled to a licence free from that endorsement will be 26 June 1988. This will be conditional on his ensuring that he does not allow any break between the expiry date of one licence and the commencement date of the next one during the interevening period. To ensure that this does not happen, the person concerned should apply for a licence well in advance of the expiry date of his current licence — he is entitled to make such application up to one month before the latter date.