Sinn Féin TDs Pa Daly and Johnny Guirke raised the matter of Irish driver licences for emigrants returning from the US in the Dáil this week.
Daly, Sinn Féin's spokesperson for Transport, put forward a motion in the Dáil this week calling on Government to implement a suite of measures to address the increase in the driving test backlog.
The motion, which was ultimately agreed to, was debated in the Dáil on Tuesday, February 25.
While Daly's motion did not directly reference Irish drivers licences for emigrants returning from the US, the topic was raised during the debate.
As it stands in Ireland, a driver can exchange their driving issued by certain 'recognized states' for an Irish driving . The US is not among the recognized states.
Ireland also requires proof of normal Irish residency - at least 185 days per year - to renew Irish driver's s. With Irish driver's s carrying a maximum ten-year term, many Irish emigrants are eventually prevented from renewing their s after moving abroad.
As such, Americans moving to Ireland and Irish emigrants returning to Ireland must go through the full Irish driver licensing procedure to get an Irish driver's - even if they have a US driver's and or despite having been previously d in Ireland. In these instances, however, only six essential driver training (EDT) lessons are required instead of the usual 12 lessons.
(This procedure does not apply to US tourists - US citizens are permitted to drive in Ireland for the duration of a visit up to 12 months, but after that period would have to apply for an Irish .)
"Make it easier for returning emigrants"
"How many potential workers are we losing when they are eager to contribute but simply cannot drive because of the lengthy driving test waiting lists?" TD Johnny Guirke said during the motion's debate in the Dáil on Tuesday.
"For example, those who wish to return from America face a lengthy wait in obtaining a full licence.
"The issue could be resolved with a simple bilateral agreement which would allow people to exchange their American licence for an Irish one.
"This is a straightforward solution and could facilitate the return of skilled individuals."
Guirke continued: "We already have similar agreements with other countries such as Canada, France, and Germany. The Taoiseach spoke earlier about the diaspora and the undocumented. This is his chance to do something.
"We are crying out for construction and healthcare workers. We need to make it easier for returning emigrants."
"Deeply frustrating"
At the conclusion of Tuesday's debate, TD Daly said: "It must be deeply frustrating for returning immigrants, immigrants returning from the United States, for example, where they have a full driving licence and who are awaiting a licence for work, so they can take up employment here.
"Their licences are not recognised here.
"All the times Government members have gone over there for St. Patrick's Day, can they not sort this small thing out with some sort of agreement with the United States?"
The mention of the issue in the Dáil this week has been welcomed by Irish American Ciaran Staunton, who in October, joined other prominent Irish and Irish Americans in petitioning the Irish government for action on driver's exchanges.
The issue of Irish-American driver’s reciprocity is not a new one.
The committee noted in a statement how the matter was considered in the 2018 "Indecon Economic Report on Addressing Challenges Faced by Returning Irish Emigrants," which was presented to Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs.
"In terms of Irish emigrants, the most important country outside of the EU is the United States and the absence of a bilateral agreement with the US is a major issue," the 2018 report said regarding driver's exchanges.
The report went on to recommend waiving EDT courses for drivers with previous Irish driving experience and with current overseas s; expanding bilateral driver exchange programme; and improving procedures to facilitate the of driving s for Irish emigrants temporarily abroad.
Earlier, then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told IrishCentral in 2017 that the issue had "come to his attention in various ways."
However, he stated at the time that because of the huge disparity in driving tests in the US - s are issued on a state-by-state basis in the US - he didn't want somebody driving in Ireland who has passed a driving test “nowhere near the standard of the Irish driving test."
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