Expired licence - Can I drive? Insurance valid?

You can renew if it's expired less than 5 years for a learners permit or 10 years for a licence. After that time you have to start again with theory test, EBT/IBT, N plate/tabbard

It comes from your verified online public services mygovid profile based on your public services card.

If you don't have a public service card valid, or haven't got a verified mygov profile, you cant renew online.

https://www.mygovid.ie/

I havent done it yet but that sounds as expected - will use your photo and address from mygovid / psc.

There was no photo needed when I renewed online recently. I assumed they'd re-use the photo they'd taken at the NDLS centre (mine's almost flattering), but they used the one from getting my PSC card. I now have the same rather horrible photo on 2 cards, from way back when I didn't know quite where the camera was or when it would shoot (trivial, I know!).

Just to add that should you get an email afterwards re a missing document(s), with a 'details' link that doesn't work, don't bother replying to it to ask what documents - just ring their helpline ASAP.

It's the first time I've renewed online (having finally managed to get fully registered on MyGovid after years of trying), I answered the questions then uploaded photos (both sides) of my over-70s medical report. Or rather assumed I had (coudn't see any sign of whether they'd uploaded ok or not, but thought that was just the flaky MyGovid software).

I then got that email, with the broken link (just a generic icon meaning 'picture', that had no effect from my Android phone, or from my Windows laptop apart from an 'url not found' error. I hadn't a clue if the medical upload had failed, or if they were waiting for some other document that I didn't know about from the scattergun guidance. I replied to that email (twice) asking what they needed, and wasted about a week waiting to hear.

I then gave in and rang the helpline (not easy here with a weak mobile signal). Second time I tried, there were only 4 callers to go, so I hung on. The very helpful and patient person I got was able to look into my case, and tell me it was the medical report missing. They instructed me to post it, spelling everything out carefully (and checked that my queries were resolved before ending the call). The new licence arrived about a week after posting the report (in my case meaning only 2 or 3 days without a valid licence).

I didn't want to take up extra time asking them if it was just me getting the duff link. But judging from the lack of reaction (e.g.surprise, or 'What browser?' and so on), I'd guess not.

Sorry - didn't mean to put you off! I expect it usually works (and it's very quick, even over my slowish connection). It's probably just that if there's a software bug somewhere I always seem to run into it!

And where it could cause a big problem for some, and looks elementary to fix, and there seems to be no channel for alerting the organisation to errors, I find it particularly rant-inducing. (Same with instructions that obviously haven't been tested on someone who doesn't already know what to do and in what order!).