Help! No trailer, no tow-bar

StephenHa

Hi, I moved to Limerick last August from the UK. I am - for my sins - a Methodist Minister and we were moved back to Ireland after 20 years serving overseas. I'm English but was ordained in Cork and my children were all born in Ireland. My grandad was from Tipperary.

My beloved K1300GT has been sat in the garage whilst we wrestled with Revenue.ie to prove we had brought it and our car into Ireland legally under the Transfer of Residency. This was a achieved yesterday!

Today I attempted to insure my bike with Carole Nash and Axa. No-one will insure me with a UK driving license. I have tried for 6 months to get an Irish driving licence but I can't as I must first have a 'Public Services Card (PSC)'. I cannot apply for a PSC under Covid Level 5. I could weep. I'm stuck.

I've been given 30 days to get the bike to the VRT for a pre-NCT examination, then get plates etc. But I can't do this without insurance, can't get insurance with a Uk driving licence; so on and so forth ........ I could weep again.

Does anyone know of anyone who has a van or trailer I can rent, beg, (can't steal!) or borrow. Just need to get it too and from the pre-NCT then it can sit in the garage until I can get a driving licence, insurance etc. Hopefully someone has a solution. Although, please, I have no wish to return to the UK!

myclist

Could you get someone to ride it to the NCT centre?

zubair

myclist wrote: »

Could you get someone to ride it to the NCT centre?

Bike wont be insured though.

Anyone know the penalties for going beyond the 30 days. I thought they were pretty low.

frozenfrozen

could be someone out there who could drop it there for you with an all singing all dancing policy that covers anything with a reg plate with permission of the owner?

krissovo

You only need a PSC card if transferring your license online, provided you have a PPS number and the required documents you can still go to a NDLS center if you book an appointment.

I had the same issue this week, I bought a Motorhome last week and no one would insure me as I had a UK license. I got a next day appointment for an eye test and at the NDLS and completed it in a day.

blade1

zubair wrote: »

Bike wont be insured though.

Anyone know the penalties for going beyond the 30 days. I thought they were pretty low.

Person riding it might be though depending on insurance.

colm_c

Options as I see it:

1. Rent a van, need a ramp and that bike is heavy!
2. Hire a man with van / bike transport, could be pricey if he has to wait around
3. Find someone with insurance to ride other bikes. I have this on my policy, but I'm not near Limerick.
4. Talk to revenue, explain covid etc. They will most likely give you an extension.


If it was me I would try in this order: 4, 3, 1 and 2 being the most expensive.

mgbgt1978

Stephen, try Jude Banks on 087 2601166.
He is a Limerick City based Bike mechanic who also does M/Bike Recovery. I'm not sure if he is working at present, but worth a phone call.

StephenHa

Thanks Krissovo, just so I understand. You made an appointment at a NDLS centre - without a PSC card - and they let you change your driving license to an Irish one?

StephenHa

Must I have an eye-sight test? Sorry, this is all new and pretty strange compared to my old country.

krissovo

StephenHa wrote: »

Thanks Krissovo, just so I understand. You made an appointment at a NDLS centre - without a PSC card - and they let you change your driving license to an Irish one?

Yes I did, look at the requirements here:
https://www.ndls.ie/licensed-driver/exchange-my-uk-ni-licence.html#to-apply-in-person-at-an-ndls-office-to-exchange-a-uk-or-northern-ireland-driving-licence

To apply in person at an NDLS centre you will need the following:

A completed and signed driving licence application form.
Current or most recent UK/NI driving licence (if your licence has expired by less than one year or does not have a category start date you will need to provide an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the relevant licensing authority) or
You must submit your most recent UK/N.I licence, if you do not have it in your possession, you will need to present an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the appropriate licensing authority. Your UK/N.I licence will be invalidated on exchange.
Proof of your personal public services number (PPSN)
Photographic I.D.
Proof of your address dated within the last six months is required if your current address is not recorded on your permit and it differs from that provided to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) if and when you applied for a PSC.
Fully completed eyesight report is required from 1 Jan 2021 unless application is accompanied by a medical report
Fully completed medical report form dated within the last three months, if required in your case.
Evidence of certificate of professional competence (CPC), if required
If exchanging a NI licence it must be accompanied by the counterpart
Your application fee of €55.00. You can pay by credit or debit card, Google Pay or Apple Pay. If you are 70 years and over you are exempt from paying the fee.

krissovo

StephenHa wrote: »

Must I have an eye-sight test? Sorry, this is all new and pretty strange compared to my old country.

Yes you need an eye test, see below in bold:

To apply in person at an NDLS centre you will need the following:

A completed and signed driving licence application form.
Current or most recent UK/NI driving licence (if your licence has expired by less than one year or does not have a category start date you will need to provide an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the relevant licensing authority) or
You must submit your most recent UK/N.I licence, if you do not have it in your possession, you will need to present an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the appropriate licensing authority. Your UK/N.I licence will be invalidated on exchange.
Proof of your personal public services number (PPSN)
Photographic I.D.
Proof of your address dated within the last six months is required if your current address is not recorded on your permit and it differs from that provided to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) if and when you applied for a PSC.
Fully completed eyesight report is required from 1 Jan 2021 unless application is accompanied by a medical report
Fully completed medical report form dated within the last three months, if required in your case.
Evidence of certificate of professional competence (CPC), if required
If exchanging a NI licence it must be accompanied by the counterpart
Your application fee of €55.00. You can pay by credit or debit card, Google Pay or Apple Pay. If you are 70 years and over you are exempt from paying the fee.

JustAThought

Father - Cars, Insurances, Licenses & anything to do with being on the road in Ireland is totally fraught. I feel your pain. None of the agencies operate joined up policies nor seem in any way connected to everyday reality. Have you tried
- picking a politician and playing the immigrant card (welcome home) and asking them to intervene - your flock need you for emergencies - this is most often the way things get resolved and might help you with your PPS card
- trying multiple different insurance companies and the brokers for the same insurance companies - I discovered last year that the same companies that would not cover me for (old car) insurance would suddenly offer me a policy if I went through a broker
- my brother exchanged his USA driving license a few years back for an Irish one (car again) - there are some really wierd rules around licenses and permissions to drive on the roads in Ireland with a different countries license - have you looked into this?
- Would it be feasible to keep or get a policy from a UK insurance company that would allow you to drive the bike overseas (here) for a few months while - you could then cancel it and get Irish policy when you have an Irish license
- If you are providing an essential work service ( & I guess officialdom will accept bereavement, hospice and hospital visits, conducting funerals etc especially considering coffee shop owners are providing an essential service!! ) them can you not get a letter for a motorbike test which will allow you get your local test/local Irish license etc
- Have you tried local scrambler tracks or clubs to see if there is someone local who is into bikes and might be able to give you a dig out?
-Local ads for man with a van or a farmer with a horsebox might be able to help for hay/petrol money.

Sorry for your troubles It’s all very Oirish.

StephenHa

Thank you 'JustAThought'. I hope that krissovo has the answer. I am getting my eyes tested today and walking-in to a centre tomorrow to hopefully get a driving license. It is all incredibly dis-jointed and bureaucratic. Still, I did agree to move back to Ireland. Its good to be 'home'.

krissovo

StephenHa wrote: »

Thank you 'JustAThought'. I hope that krissovo has the answer. I am getting my eyes tested today and walking-in to a centre tomorrow to hopefully get a driving license. It is all incredibly dis-jointed and bureaucratic. Still, I did agree to move back to Ireland. Its good to be 'home'.

Dont forget to book your appointment on-line prior to going to the NDLS, they do not allow "walk ins" its strictly by appointment only.

Good luck!

JustAThought

krissovo wrote: »

Dont forget to book your appointment on-line prior to going to the NDLS, they do not allow "walk ins" its strictly by appointment only.

Good luck!

Tell them its an emergency and you need it for work - write yourself a letter in headed notepaper and hand it in if needed - they needn’t know you’re in charge and you wrote it!!

Best of luck!

StephenHa

THANK YOU everyone and especially krissovo: your advice worked perfectly.

I had an eye test at Specsavers - advertised online as €30 but cost €55 in store as it had to be a 'special eye test for a driving licence.'

I booked a walk-in appointment in DNLS Limerick today and have completed it. I now have an Ireland Driver number and it'll be up to 11 weeks to receive the physical licence.

The staff informed me that the 'mix-up' over the need for a PSC was to have been removed from the website as every government department knows you cannot get a PSC under level 5 - but, they said, the PSC 'piece' remains on the website despite their calls for it to be dropped. She swore but I cannot repeat that!

So: off now to Carole Nash. here's hoping.... My Uk Fully Comp, protected NCD was £115 per year - how much here ...................

StephenHa

As an end: Axa €556 fully comp, Carol Nash €285 fully comp! done.

D3V!L

Having lived in Germany for a couple of years, I feel your pain. Everything over there just "worked". Here, not so much. No government agencies talk to each other. When they do it's self-serving and doesn't benefit us in any way.

Welcome home by the way

Jimmy Bottlehead

Welcome home, happy and safe riding, and glad this thread had a happy ending.

Trigger Happy

Now that the paper work is out of the way you can post a pic of the bike in the pictures thread!

Hotblack Desiato

JustAThought wrote: »

- trying multiple different insurance companies and the brokers for the same insurance companies

Nowhere will insure on a UK licence, because UK licences are no longer valid here. That's not the fault of any agency or company in this country, btw...

mervifwdc

Gotta say, it would be so cool to have a minister cruise up to the church on a bike like that! Brill! Welcome home!

JustAThought

mervifwdc wrote: »

Gotta say, it would be so cool to have a minister cruise up to the church on a bike like that! Brill! Welcome home!

Gods rep. is a biker - quite cool!!!
Welcome home Father & Best of Luck with it all!!

Umiq88

Did you get sorted with getting the bike to NCT center?

blade1

mervifwdc wrote: »

Gotta say, it would be so cool to have a minister cruise up to the church on a bike like that! Brill! Welcome home!

The priest near me has a Honda cx650.