Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 July 2024
147. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the timeframe for his Department to link records of all driving licences to the records of vehicle registrations on his Department's national vehicle and driver file databases; the reasons for the delay to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29454/24]
View answerIt is important to distinguish between registration of a vehicle, from subsequent processing activity in its vehicle lifecycle. Initial registration of all new and imported vehicles is a matter for the Revenue Commissioners, so any data quality issues around the name and address details registered for such vehicle owners, and verification of same, is a matter for that office.
Section 4 of the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 amends existing legislation and enables a unique identifier to be captured where a vehicle’s ownership changes, or when it is being licensed. This will normally be a driver number, but if that is unavailable it may be a PPSN. The requirement for such owner verification details to be supplied will require significant change to how such services are currently provided and will require consultation with a number of stakeholders both within and outside my Department. My Department hopes to begin that engagement this year. Section 4 will be commenced when the necessary preparations have been concluded.
