Call for driving licence contract to be re-tendered over payment and staff issues

Renewing a driver's licence had become 'complicated and very stressful' for many people, Dáil told

Lack of cash payments at driving licence centres branded 'madness' in Dáil debate. Picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins 

The lack of cash payments at driving licence centres has been branded "madness" in a Dáil debate.

The Dáil on Wednesday debated a private members' motion from the Independent Group which called for changes to the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS).

Clare TD Michael McNamara told the Dáil the NDLS contract was put in place in 2021 "while the attention of the body politic was diverted by the Covid-19 pandemic". 

He said the centres no longer offer a walk-in service, the walk-in service having originally ceased temporarily in March 2020.

The contract the Road Safety Authority awarded gave the Swiss company SGS the right to operate 34 offices over a bid from An Post.

Mr McNamara said a verified MyGovlD account, which requires a public services card, was needed to avail of the online service; that cash payments were not accepted at NDLS offices; and that "insufficient staffing has led to a further diminution of the service provided at NDLS offices and to those seeking to book an appointment at those offices by telephone".

His motion called on the Government to retender for the NDLS, with a focus on cash payments and staffing at centres.

Independent TD Thomas Pringle said the changes to the NDLS are "examples of a steady creep of the incessant roll back of public service provision brought in by successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments", while Right to Change TD Joan Collins said it was "ridiculous" that cash was not accepted.

My next-door neighbour does not have a bank card but uses cash all of the time and she has a car and drives. Loads of people still make cash payments yet we have a move towards the whole of concept of card payments only because that suits the banks and the State."

Sinn Féin TD Louise O'Reilly said renewing a driver's licence had become "complicated and very stressful" for many people, while her colleague Darren O'Rourke said the system was "failing people".

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In response, Junior Transport Minister Hildegarde Naughton said there were thousands of appointments available at centres across the country.

She said the decision was made to not accept cash after "a market sounding exercise where only one potential bidder advocated accepting cash payments".

"The decision was made after evaluating security, administration, and value for money factors," she said. 

"Currently, 29,000 appointment slots are free out of 77,000 slots available for booking across a six-week period. There is currently a high renewal demand for driving licences and learner permits due to the extensions put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic coming to an end."