Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2014
675. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if penalty points can be attached to a UK or other foreign driving licence; if so, the way these are attached and removed from the licence; whether, if the holder of the licence is resident here, that is, if he or she has an Irish passport, these points will be attached to a future Irish licence when the person's current foreign licence expires. [48422/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMeasures brought into effect earlier this year under the Road Traffic Act 2014, mean that, when a foreign licence holder incurs penalty points, a record can be created and the points applied to it.
The mechanism is the same as for other penalty points offences. A licence record is created on the National Vehicle and Driving File, held by my Department, and the penalty points are associated with the record. They count down for a three-year period, and points are accumulate as offences are committed.
Non-nationals resident in Ireland are expected to apply in due course for an Irish licence once they are resident in this country for more than twelve months. If they come from another EU Member State, or from a State with which Ireland has a mutual licence exchange agreement, they may exchange their licence for the Irish equivalent. If not, they must begin here as a learner. In either case, their existing points, acquired while driving here on a non-Irish licence, would carry over as part of their record to their new Irish licence.
