Minister Donohoe welcomes initiation of agreement between Ireland & Manitoba on exchange of driving licences

1st May, 2015

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe T.D., today (Friday) welcomed the initiation of an agreement which allows for the mutual exchange of driving licences between Ireland and the Canadian province of Manitoba.

 

The agreement provides that the holder of a full Irish driving licence can automatically exchange this licence for a Manitoba licence if they are resident in the province.  The reverse will apply also where the holder of a valid Manitoba licence, resident in this country, can exchange their licence for an Irish driving licence without the need to undergo a driving test. This will be of enormous benefit to the many Irish citizens currently living and working in Manitoba, as well as to people from Manitoba now living and working in Ireland.

 

Minister Donohoe said: ‘I am happy to announce the commencement of this agreement with Manitoba on driver licence exchange.  Recent years have seen many Irish people moving to Canada, and the ability to exchange driving licences will be of great benefit to them as they adapt to a new life.  Equally, it will be welcomed by people from Manitoba living in Ireland.  This agreement follows on an exchange arrangement with Ontario which was launched last October.  I would like to thank the authorities in Manitoba, as well as the Road Safety Authority and the Irish Embassy in Canada, for their hard work in arriving at this agreement’.

 

“The RSA, as Ireland’s national driver licensing body, will continue to work with the authorities of the other Canadian provinces with a view to reaching similar agreements, and I look forward to further progress in this area.”

 

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