As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports I wish to advise that in line with the Programme for Government commitments regarding the easier return to Ireland for emigrants, the Department is exploring options concerning the US. US driver licensing is regulated at state, not federal, level. Ireland does not currently have agreements with any US state.
The Department has liaised with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to identify states with large Irish born populations. Three US states, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey, have been chosen as the initial states for consideration due to the size of their Irish born populations.
The DFA and the Department have written to the Governor of the state of New York to express Ireland’s interest in entering into a possible agreement.
On my direction, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is actively engaging with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles as part of its review of New York state’s driving licensing and testing standards. As Minister, I cannot intervene or comment on review proceedings while they are ongoing as this is an independent technical assessment by the two licensing agencies and must be free from any political inference. Undertaking such a technical review is not a straightforward matter and can take up to two years to conclude.
Once the review process is completed, the RSA will make a recommendation to my Department.
