The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has partially reversed its plan to force people to produce a public services card when applying for a driving licence or driver permit.
The authority had recently announced on the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) website that from Monday, April 9th, applicants would “need a public services card to apply for or renew a driving licence or learner permit”.
It was signalled last year that the public services card, issued by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to those availing of State benefits and schemes, would become a requirement for all driving licence and passport applicants, including renewals.
The card and its associated databases has been the subject of an investigation by the Data Protection Commissioner amid concerns about privacy and the legal basis on which it was built.
A notice on the NDLS website on Tuesday simply stated: “From Monday 9 April if you bring your public services card (PSC) to the NDLS it will simplify your application process.”
Asked about the changes, the RSA said it was happy to clarify that from that date the card would “replace the requirement for certain documentation when applying for a driving licence/learner permit”.