Vol. 547 No. 1
722 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason the tractor category has been removed from driving licences; the legal status of an individual driving a tractor with such a licence; the new licensing system for driving tractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1240/02]
The category referred to in category W, a national category only applicable in Ireland which gives entitlement to drive land tractors and work vehicles.
EU directives, which provide for the harmonisation of driver testing and licensing regimes in member states, standardise the classification of vehicle categories for testing and licensing purposes and also provide for an EU model driving licence that is recognised throughout the EU. As the directives do not classify tractors for testing and licensing purposes, the EU model driving licence only allows harmonised categories of vehicles to be displayed. In Ireland persons with EU category B, cars, entitlement on the licence are also licensed to drive vehicles in vehicle category W. An insert is issued with the licence explaining this fact together with other information relating to the licence.
Where the licence holder does not have entitlement to EU category B, the national category W is inserted in the driving licence.
