The System Works - Sometimes

keithclancy

So after getting on to the Department of Foreign affairs directly a number of times in the last 3 years and being bandied around the place, I decided to e-mail Eamon Gilmores office directly.

The topic was around moving to the Netherlands with an Irish driving license.

This is what I sent, Apologies for the length:

to eamon.gilmore
Dear Mr Gilmore,

I have contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs through the website 3 times in last 2 years without any response, hence I am mailing you directly in the hope that you can get someone to resolve the problem.

Information that is published on the Department of Foreign Affairs website is incorrect.

From:
http://www.irishembassy.nl/home/index.aspx?id=40464

Section in particular:

(4) Using your Driving Licence in the Netherlands

Irish full driving licences are valid for use in the Netherlands for one year. After that, you will need to either exchange your Irish licence for a Dutch one, or register your Irish licence with the RDW - the Dutch Road Traffic service. In both cases, you should contact your local municipality for further information. You will only be able to exchange or register your Irish licence if it is still valid, if it is a full driving licence (ie not a provisional license), and if you make your application within one year of your arrival in the Netherlands. For further information, please contact the RDW: www.rdw.nl/eng/index.html Tel: 0900.0739 (within the Netherlands - EUR0.10/minute) or +31.598.393.330 (from outside the Netherlands)

--END--

This information according to the following is incorrect:

Solvit (Signpost Query:71903)

RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer)
Source:
http://www.rdw.nl/Particulier/Paginas/Rijden-met-een-buitenlands-rijbewijs.aspx?path=Portal/Particulier/Het%20rijbewijs/Rijden%20met%20een%20buitenlands%20rijbewijs

Gemeente Eindhoven:
http://www.eindhoven.nl/producten/Rijbewijs-Omwisselen-buitenlands-rijbewijs.htm

A Full Irish License is valid until a maximum period of 10 years in the Netherlands or until its expiry date (Whichever comes first)

There is no requirement to exchange it within 1 year of arrival in the Netherlands.

Can you please correct this.

This conflicting information causes confusion for Irish Expatriates in the Netherlands on 1-2 year contracts as they think they have to exchange it and when they go back to Ireland it affects their Insurance Premium (since they no longer have an Irish Driving license)

Also it is wasting Irish peoples time as they go to exchange it only to be told that they don't have to, they then go and attempt to register it with the RDW only to be told its not possible (This was scrapped back in 2004)

http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/local_news/dutch-scrap-eu-expat-driving-licence-registration-4366.html

Some people I have met are worried that if they do not exchange it within a year of living in the Netherlands that they will have to start from scratch and sit a Dutch Driving test.

This information has been published on the website for a number of years (at least 6)

I look forward to your response on this matter.

Kind Regards,
xxxxxxxx

This is what I got back a week later:



With everyone complaining about the Government being useless, I thought I'd stick this up there to point out something positive at least.

What I didn't know was this 15 year thing, are the new card license valid for 15 years now ?

Also at least now the situation is clear, I don't know how many pub disagreements I've had with Irish people saying I was driving Illegally. :D

Tea 1000

They are useless. They only did their job for you after 2 years of escalation.

keithclancy

Tea 1000 wrote: »

They are useless. They only did their job for you after 2 years of escalation.

Wasn't talking about the Department of Foreign affairs, it's clear that their useless.

More in the capacity of a TD Actually doing something.

dh0011

I have dealt with the DFA a few times down through the years and they were always excellent and very sound.

Tea 1000

keithclancy wrote: »

Wasn't talking about the Department of Foreign affairs, it's clear that their useless.

More in the capacity of a TD Actually doing something hiring a decent secretary.

Fixed!

_Kaiser_

Tea1000 wrote:

keithclancy wrote: »

Wasn't talking about the Department of Foreign affairs, it's clear that their useless.

More in the capacity of a TD Actually doing something hiring a decent secretary.

Fixed!

More in the capacity of a TD Actually doing something hiring a decent secretary taking on a relative/mate/relative's/mate's offspring who actually did something!

NOW it's fixed!

creedp

keithclancy wrote: »

Wasn't talking about the Department of Foreign affairs, it's clear that their useless.

More in the capacity of a TD Actually doing something.

In the interest of accuracy, you do realise that the Minister probably never even saw that letter. Neither did his secretary do anything with it other that act as a conduit. It was received in his office and dealt with by the civil servants assigned to the Ministerial office/Dept and when finished sent back to the Minister's secretary for stamping.

keithclancy

creedp wrote: »

In the interest of accuracy, you do realise that the Minister probably never even saw that letter. Neither did his secretary do anything with it other that act as a conduit. It was received in his office and dealt with by the civil servants assigned to the Ministerial office/Dept and when finished sent back to the Minister's secretary for stamping.

Of course, that sounds pretty efficient to me.

How else do you think it works ? Even in a Private enterprise.

Actually when contacting a director at a company or whatever you would get the
"Please call you customer service line and they can assist you further"

creedp

keithclancy wrote: »

Of course, that sounds pretty efficient to me.

How else do you think it works ? Even in a Private enterprise.

Actually when contacting a director at a company or whatever you would get the
"Please call you customer service line and they can assist you further"

Full agree with the above view. I was simply commenting on the view expressed below

Wasn't talking about the Department of Foreign affairs, it's clear that their useless.

More in the capacity of a TD Actually doing something.

LiamoSail

All this proves is that the system doesn't work

The dept of foreign affairs didn't get back to you on a number of occasions

To get your answer, you had to directly contact a minister, a person who's time should be spent fulfilling his ministerial role, as oppose to answering queries which should be promptly addressed by lower level civil servants

jimgoose

I believe this is something like the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation - the initial shock and pleasant surprise of getting a government department to do something useful and/or helpful for you completely masks the knowledge that someone with a functioning brain and something resembling a work-ethic could have sorted it out easily and immediately two years prior!