With effect from the 29th of October 2013 the application process for an Irish National Drivers Licence is changing. A new plastic card driver licence has been introduced, replacing the previous paper driving licence and learner permit.
When applying here in Tipperary, residents will need to visit one of the two new National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) centres to be set up at Suite No 9, Second Floor, Powerstown House, Clonmel (South Tipp) or No 10 Silver Street, Nenagh (North Tipp).
As part of what now will be a face-to-face application process, your photo and your signature will be captured digitally. These will be included in the existing fee which will see costs rise significantly, with a one-year driving licence costing €25, a three-year driving licence costing €35 and a ten-year driving licence costing €55. You will also be required to provide additional documentation to confirm your identity. Further information on this and other conditions are available on the NDLS website.
This is an EU initiative to introduce a more secure, compact style of licence for use in all member states. The number of driving licence categories have also increased and the minimum age requirement for certain categories have likewise changed.
This new National Drivers Licensing initiative is being viewed as an unnecessary interference in Irish affairs at a time when Ireland’s motorists face great financial hardship and where many secondary roads continue to remain in an unsafe condition.
Because of the required face-to-face application process now required, those wishing to renew Driver Licences can expect unnecessary delays of up to 5 hours at these newly appointed centres. While persons of advanced years will find the process a further cause for distress, this change will now most certainly affect the annual incomes of various photographic stations and pharmaceutical outlets, latter who previously supplied passport photographs for same required licences.
Further information is also available on the Road Safety Authority’s website.
One hopes that this new technology will be an improvement on our previous waste of public monies. I refer of course to the investment of €55m on 7,600 ill-fated e-voting machines which were later sold for a reported €70,267 to KMK Metals Recycling Ltd, for shredding, earning the latter company in excess of 1 million Euro.
The Baskets are soaking more from the poor
EU Directives are destroying Ireland and grinding down the people. Was the fight for this land to put up with this type of thing indefinitely?