As the Deputy may be aware, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) formally became the national driver licensing authority in January 2013. From November next, the RSA will assume full responsibility for the service and, through contracts with private sector companies, will provide customer interface and processing services. Under the new regime, there will be a target to process driver licence applications within 7 days.
As the correspondent acknowledges, there is no renewal fee for for driver licences for those over 70. There may, however, be costs associated with the required medical examination for certification of fitness to drive. Given that age-related deteriorations can have a serious impact on ability to drive, the practice of requiring certification of fitness on a periodic basis for older drivers is widely recognised internationally. I have no role in determining medical charges or matters relating to the scope of medical card cover.
With regard to the correspondent's objection to producing an up to date photo every three years, I can advise that under the new licensing regime, photographs will be captured digitally as part of the processing service by the RSA. There will no longer be a need, therefore, for the applicant to provide photographs when renewing a licence.
