To ask the Minister for Infrastructure what proposals he will bring forward to (i) improve; and (ii) speed up the system for people wishing to exchange an international driving licence, including the Channel Islands, for a Northern Ireland driving licence.

The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) is required to be satisfied that driving licences are issued only to those drivers who meet the relevant requirements in relation to residency and the right to enter or remain in the United Kingdom.

The time taken to determine an application where an International Driving licence has been submitted will depend on the country of issue of the licence and the requirements which allow the DVA to exchange or issue a licence to the customer and whether any further information is required as part of the assessment process.

There is currently no delay in processing applications where an International Driving Licence has been submitted for exchange purposes to DVA. The DVA is currently processing these licence applications within two weeks of receipt of a qualifying application where all the relevant paperwork, including proof of residency, has been received.