Driving licences and EirGrid legislation
Mattie McGrath criticises the driving-licence renewal process for people working abroad and asks about freedom-of-information coverage and the EirGrid Bill. The Government says an overseas renewal procedure exists and that the EirGrid Bill is on the D list for 2015.
I wish to raise two items. One is the EirGrid Bill, which is promised for this year. Will freedom of information also be applicable to EirGrid? Confusion and misinformation abound throughout the country and we need something to rein EirGrid in as well.
Under the road transport (no. 2) Bill the driving licence renewal process is farcical. NDLS, the company that handles this, is not fit for purpose. Yesterday, I was contacted by the father of a young man who is in America.
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He had to come home to get a driving licence. He washed his licence in his shirt, which can happen to any of us. Dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi go raibh póca ina léine aige.
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The Deputy can table a parliamentary question but cannot raise this matter on the Order of Business.
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He washed his licence. How can he travel home from his job to get a new licence? It is nonsensical in the extreme.
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Can someone please review this matter? This person is only one of many. A person working abroad has to come home to get his or her licence renewed. It is just farcical.
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I am informed by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport that it is not necessary to travel home for a licence. There is a procedure for dealing with it.
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If the Deputy gives me the details I will look at them.
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We were told it was to be in 2014, but it has now gone back to 2015.
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My God. The pressure will be piled on; do not worry.