THE ROAD Safety Authority (RSA) has said the ongoing review of the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS) will not lead to the closure of the Letterkenny office.
The authority was responding to concerns that there are plans to halve the opening hours of the NDLS office in Letterkenny which services customers in north Donegal, west Donegal and across to Inishowen.
Responding to a query from the Donegal News about the future of the service a spokesperson for the RSA said the review would not lead to any office closures however they did not comment on the possibility of a reduction in opening hours.
“The RSA was given responsibility for the delivery of the driver licensing service by government in 2013. The service was established with 34 NDLS centres around the country in October 2013,” said the spokesperson.
“The RSA is conducting a review of the service in conjunction with its service provider to ensure the service matches customer needs.
“The RSA can confirm that this review will not result in any NDLS centre closures. The review is still ongoing, and discussions are continuing with the service provider SGS. We expect this process to be completed shortly.”
changes
Donegal Sinn Féin TD, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn raised concerns that the Letterkenny office would close from Monday to Wednesday and only open from Thursdays to Saturdays from late February to early March.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said: “I am calling on the Minister for Transport and the Road Safety Authority (RSA), who are responsible for the NDLS, to urgently clarify the situation and give assurances that this important public service to the people of Donegal will, at the least, be maintained as it is.
“I have raised the need for an additional NDLS office to be opened in Inishowen with the Minister for Transport and the RSA in recent years and this request has been refused. To now learn that this already limited service will be reduced further is just unacceptable.
“Apparently, there are plans to increasingly move this service online rather than in person. This is very unfair to older people and to the families without broadband services across Donegal. This is not a private for profit service. This is a public service and I expect the Minister and the RSA to reverse these plans”.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)