538. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport the reason that when a person applies for renewal of their driving licence early, they then lose that time from their licence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57781/26]

As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that Irish driver licensing law operates within EU law. An Irish driving licence can only be issued for a maximum of 10 years at a time and the date of issue on a driving licence must be the actual date on which the licence is issued. A person can only hold one Irish/EU licence at any given time.

The facility to allow a driving licence to be renewed up to 3 months before the date of expiry is to ensure that drivers can remain continuously licensed. While this is important for all drivers, it is particularly so for professional drivers such as bus or truck drivers, and those who know that they may be out of the country for business or travel when their licence is due to expire.