Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
411. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 181 of 26 March 2026, when the RSA is due to report in respect of the assessment process for a licence exchange agreement; and if that report will be laid before the House. [28597/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe RSA's evaluation of another jurisdiction's licensing and testing standards for a possible licence exchange agreement is independent and technical in nature and is necessarily independent of political involvement.
The guiding principle for the RSA when reaching an agreement with another jurisdiction is to ensure the continued safety of Irish road users. As licence exchange agreements protect public safety by ensuring that people licensed to drive on our roads have reached recognised standards, the most important element is whether the other jurisdiction's licensing regime applies standards for obtaining a licence which are comparable with our own. Where these standards are not met, no agreement is possible, no matter how desirable an agreement with that jurisdiction may be.
The time frames for completing a review vary considerably and depend on a range of factors, in particular the response of the other jurisdiction. There are processes ongoing at present for a number of jurisdictions and once any are completed, the RSA will make a recommendation to my Department.
