Outcry at driving licence changes

The centralisation of driving licence production was branded an attack on rural Ireland yesterday, as the Road Safety Authority defended the new system as the cheapest for consumers.

From September, applicants will no longer be allowed to have their picture taken in a nearby pharmacy or by a local photographer.

Instead, it must be captured by SGS, a Swiss-based multinational founded in France, that has been appointed by the RSA to operate the system in Ireland.