Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 5th January, 2021.

I, EAMON RYAN, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 23A 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, Tourism and Sport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 351 of 2020 )) hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Road Traffic (Recognition of Foreign Driving Licences) (United Kingdom) Order 2020.

2. This Order shall come into operation on 31 December 2020 at 11 p.m.

3. In this Order “2006 Regulations” means the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 537 of 2006).

4. 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 a competent authority of the United Kingdom in a category which corresponds to a category specified in the Table to Regulation 6 of the 2006 Regulations shall be recognised for the purpose of exchange of that licence or permit for a driving licence.

5. A licence or permit –

(a) issued by a competent authority of the United Kingdom in a category which corresponds to a category set out in column (1) of the Table to Regulation 27(3)(a) of the 2006 Regulations, also referred to in the Table to Regulation 6 of 2006 Regulations, and

(b) which includes a category set out in column (2) of the Table to Regulation 27(3)(a) of the 2006 Regulations opposite the mention in column (1) of the category referred to in paragraph (a) which was granted in exchange for a licence or permit issued by a state (other than the State) which is not a Member State or a state to which an order under section 23A of the Road Traffic Act 1961 applies,

shall be recognised in respect of the category set out in column (2) for the purpose of exchange of that licence or permit under Article 4.

6. This Order shall not apply to a category on a licence or permit issued by a competent authority of the United Kingdom in exchange for a licence or permit issued by a state (other than the State) which is not a Member State or a state to which an order under section 23A of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) applies, other than in respect of a category set out in column (2) referred to in Article 5(b).

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

22 December, 2020.

EAMON RYAN,

Minister for Transport.

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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the mutual exchange of driving licences.