Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 February 2018
181. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the NDLS insist on the presentation of the new public services card for issuing learner permits; if other identification such as a passport is adequate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8842/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf I may first clarify a point, the Public Services Card (PSC) is currently required when presenting for the Driver Theory Test, and is not asked for as part of the application process for the learner permit.
Numerous Government Departments and agencies offer services to the public which require robust ID provisions. The consequence over many years has been that members of the public are put through a series of different and time-consuming processes in order to prove their identity when dealing with different public bodies.
In order to reduce this burden on both the citizen and the State, the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 - the legislative basis for the PSC - provided for all Government Departments and a range of public bodies, referred to in the Act as 'specified bodies', to request the PSC as part of transactions such as application processes. The intention was to enable people to have one point where they could verify their ID for public services, which they could then use to access other public services.
While the Road Safety Authority, which has responsibility for the National Driver Licensing Service, did not exist in 2005, it was later added to the list of 'specified bodies'.
The requirement introduced in June 2016 for applicants for the driver theory test to produce a PSC is part of the gradual roll-out of this ID process.
