Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 15th January, 2016.

I, PASCHAL DONOHOE, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 23A (inserted by section 8 of the Road Traffic Act 2006 (No. 23 of 2006)) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) and the National Roads and Road Traffic (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 298 of 2002 ) (as adapted by the Transport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 141 of 2011 )), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Road Traffic (Recognition of Foreign Driving Licences) (Newfoundland and Labrador) Order 2016.

2. In this Order “vehicle with automatic transmission” means a vehicle in which no clutch pedal (or lever operated manually for category A1) is present.

3. It is declared that a licence or permit permitting a person to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle, not being a licence or permit issued to a person to enable that person to learn or provisionally to drive such a vehicle, issued by the competent authority of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador in a category which corresponds to category A1 or B in the Table to Regulation 6 of the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 537 of 2006) is recognised for the purpose of exchange of that licence or permit for a driving licence.

4. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), a driving licence being granted in exchange for a licence or permit referred to in Article 3 shall only give entitlement to drive a vehicle with automatic transmission in the category concerned.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), where the competent authority referred to in Article 3 confirms that the person exchanging a driving licence or permit completed a test in a vehicle with manual transmission which is considered to demonstrate the necessary ability to drive the vehicle to the satisfaction of the licensing authority (within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961)) the licence issued on exchange shall not be restricted to entitlement to drive a vehicle with automatic transmission.

(3) Paragraph (2) shall not apply where, subsequent to the test, the competent authority of Newfoundland and Labrador issued the person with a licence which only gives entitlement to drive a vehicle with automatic transmission in the category concerned.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

13 January 2016.

PASCHAL DONOHOE,

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

This Order gives effect to an Agreement between Ireland and the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the mutual exchange of driving licences.