I thank the Minister of State for being here this morning. My Commencement matter is quite straightforward. There has been incredible social unrest, and unrest generally, due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, with Israel and the US targeting Iran and the knock-on effect that has had with Iranian missile strikes on a number of countries in the Middle East where we have many of our citizens. Thankfully, many of our citizens are returning home safely. There has been improved connectivity. I acknowledge the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who worked very hard during the early days of the crisis to make sure our citizens returned home safely on a number of flights at a very worrying time.

I am raising the issue of the challenge that is facing many citizens who are returning and the spouses of those citizens, some who may not be Irish citizens themselves or have an Irish driver's licence themselves but may have an international driver's licence. One case in point is a spouse of a constituent of mine who has a Brazilian driver's licence and a UAE driver's licence, but because of the regulation as it is at the moment, they are not able to drive until they get their full Irish driver's licence. That creates a big challenge for them, so they are basically renting a car and it is costing a lot of money until they can actually get everything ported over. It is a huge financial barrier and challenge for people who are returning.

Given the fact it is during a time of crisis and there have been examples in the past, like Ukraine, which is not an EU member, where flexibility was allowed for Ukrainians coming here and that was done very quickly and was a practical approach to making life as easy as possible, we need to do the same for our citizens and our citizen's spouses. It is quite a niche area and does not affect a huge number of people, but when it does affect people, it causes a lot of difficulty.

I know the Minister of State is here on behalf of the Department of Transport and I thank him for being here but it is something that should be considered and a bit of flexibility and a period of grace should be given to allow people to get set up. There are so many challenges people face, whether it is trying to get young children into a school, finding a house, and all of those things you need to do to set up and start a life all over again because of what is going on in the Middle East. It is a great opportunity for our diaspora to return home, but in every case we always need to make it as easy as possible for them to set up their lives here again for themselves and their families. I would welcome the Minister of State's consideration on behalf of the Department.

I thank Senator Duffy for raising this Commencement matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. People resident in Ireland must have a valid Irish or other EU licence to drive here.

A resident with an exchangeable licence may apply to exchange it for an Irish licence in all categories on that licence covered by the relevant exchange agreement.

Ireland does not have driving licence exchange agreements with any countries in the Middle East. Entering a driving licence exchange agreement with a country outside the EU is not a straightforward matter, and reaching them is not a matter of political will. The core principle when reaching an agreement with another jurisdiction is to ensure the continued safety of Irish road users. Should an individual return to the State temporarily, they may be considered a visitor rather than a resident. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, visitors from contracting states who hold a valid licence can drive on each other's roads for up to a year when visiting. Should an individual wish to take up residence in Ireland, they must obtain an Irish licence in order to drive here. However, a person with a full but non-exchangeable licence can avail of a shorter learning-to-drive process, namely six essential driver training lessons instead of 12 and no minimum period of six months before taking a driving test. Should the individual have passed an Irish driving test and acquired an Irish licence prior to moving to the Middle East, it should be noted that, under the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006, as amended, someone who is resident in Ireland may apply to renew their Irish licence within ten years of it expiring. Situations can vary and some licenses may be issued for a shorter period in certain circumstances, such as on health grounds. However, this effectively gives a window of 20 years from the day an Irish licence is issued to the date it must be renewed.

The Road Traffic (Recognition of Foreign Driving Licences) (Ukraine) Order 2022, which came into law on 22 April 2022, allowed Ukrainians admitted to Ireland under the EU's temporary protection directive to exchange their Ukrainian licences for Irish licences. This was an exceptional measure taken in response to the immediate and extraordinary humanitarian crisis arising from the conflict in Ukraine pending an EU-wide response to this issue. These licences were only valid for 12 months and were an interim measure prior to the introduction in July 2022 of EU-wide recognition of Ukrainian licences held by people given temporary protection under the directive for the duration of that protection.

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. My motivation here is to make that it as easy as possible for people returning home and for a bit of flexibility to be given to them. I acknowledge the reply and understand it is so important we have safe roads and strong regulations in that way, but we also need to be dynamic, practical and fluid as we were during the invasion of Ukraine in the context of the unrest and ongoing war in the Middle East that have resulted in our citizens being displaced. It is great to see people returning home. We need to be as flexible as possible, so I would welcome it if the Minister of State spoke to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Department about the matter further in order to reiterate the ask. We should have a lever in place in order that, without too much work, a Minister or Minister of State can make a call very quickly and have something introduced. This is one example in that regard, but we all know that down the line there will be other wars or crises in different countries that will lead to people needing to return to Ireland. In those cases, we need to be ready to make it as easy as possible for them to return and set up their lives again here. It is something we should be prepared for, and I would appreciate the Minister of State's support.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir. I will bring what he raised to the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. I think the Minister of State has responsibility for driving licences. Regrettably, we are seeing an increase in fatalities on our roads this year, and we must not relax the standards required of people in order that they can be awarded licences. Accordingly, we must ensure that anyone who obtains an Irish licence has passed a practical driving test to Irish standards. Where it is not possible to do so, an Irish licence cannot be issued. While those arriving from Ukraine were able to benefit from a measure put in place under the EU's temporary protection directive, no similar directive has been established in the current situation. When people come to Ireland with non-exchangeable licences, they are required to go through the process of obtaining Irish licences. While many may have a safe driving record, we have no way of measuring the standards of the driving test passed to obtain the licence. Road safety and keeping roads safe for all road users must always be the priority.