Irish-US Driver's Licence Exchange Committee meets with Minister of State for Transport

Members of the Irish-US Driver's Licence Exchange Committee say their meeting this week with TD Seán Canney, Ireland's Minister of State for Transport, and colleagues at his office at Dáil Éireann was "positive and constructive."

Wednesday's discussions focused on two major recommendations the committee put forth in a recent report: the need to restore Irish driving licences to returning Irish citizens if they have a current licence from another country, and the benefits of pursuing a unilateral approach to exchanging driver’s licences from the US as a whole. 

While noting that pursuing reciprocal agreements with individual US states is a slow and arduous process, the committee said its proposed unilateral approach "avoids unnecessary 'gold plating' of EU regulations, is consistent with the EU Directive, and follows practices in several other EU countries."

The committee added that its proposed approach "can more rapidly deliver the government’s objective with significantly less workload for the Department of Transport and the RSA [Road Safety Authority]."

Ciarán Staunton, co-chair of the committee, said after Wednesday's meeting: "To us in the committee, some of whom have been impacted by this issue, restoring the expired licenses of Irish citizens if they hold a current licence from another country, is a simple and just solution to a problem that is affecting our returning diaspora.

"It is also a safe solution, as these are experienced drivers.

"To ensure they are familiar with current road signs, configurations, regulations, and safety, we suggested to the Minister that the theory test could be added as a requirement for licence renewal."

Staunton said he and the committee were pleased to learn that Minister Canney will raise the matter with his European Transport colleagues during the Irish presidency of the European Union, which begins in July.

Staunton added: "Ireland is a country with strong linkages – both business and cultural – with the United States and a global diaspora that we are energetically encouraging to return.

"We want to welcome those who come to work or return home, yet the problem of being unable to drive unaccompanied for several months both deters and significantly impacts those we seek to attract.

"We look forward to continued dialogue with the Minister, the Department, and the RSA as they work to develop and implement these solutions."