Mayo native on committee urging government to address US-Irish driver's licence agreements

THE Irish government is being urged to address US-Irish driver licence exchange issues.

Representatives on a US-Ireland committee pushing for reciprocity agreements include Mayo native Ciaran Staunton.

The committee has written to Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin about the need to establish driver’s licence reciprocity agreements between Ireland and some US states - Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, New York and Illinois.

Their proposal seeks to build on the existing framework of Ireland’s reciprocity agreements with other countries, including certain provinces in Canada.

Some US states have bilateral agreements with many European countries, but not with Ireland, which is creating huge difficulties for people returning to Ireland.

Committee member Larry McCarthy, former president of the GAA, shared his experience of spending €870 on driving lessons and applying for a driving test months ago, and still no date.

Ciaran Staunton highlighted how his wife is currently going through this same process.

Outside the personal impact, the committee also pointed out economic impacts, such as companies facing challenges in talent mobility.

Some US states already have agreements with countries like France and Germany, and an Indecon Report highlighted the issue in 2018, recommending that bi-lateral agreements be made with individual states.

They pointed out the potential for change for the Irish government with new reciprocal arrangements being considered with countries like North Macedonia, Moldova, Georgia, Israel and Bosnia-Herzegovina.