3 weeks for a replacement drivers licence.

McNulty737 · 18-10-2010 04:03PM #1

In order to renew my car insurance I have to send in a copy of my drivers licence to the insurance company....however when i checked the place i usually keep my licence (in the car because it doesnt fit in my wallet), it turns out it's missing. So after waiting around sitting on my ass for an hour in the local motor tax office, I'm informed that it will take 3 weeks to get a replacement licence. Fantastic.

After some consideration, it leaves me bewildered once again as to how inefficient our public service is. After paying for the initial ten year licence aswell as the fee for a replacement licence - on top of all the tax i've been paying over the years....this is the kind of crappy service i get from the generously paid paper pushers in the public service? I cannot drive for the next three weeks because it takes that amount of time for the motor tax office to re-print a piece of paper. And why do we have these bulky pink pieces of cardboard as licences anyway? In other countries people have plastic cards the same size as a credit card that is designed to fit neatly into peoples wallets and therefore generally more difficult to lose.

This country desperately needs a hard nosed government to come in and force changes in the public sector. However who is the most popular candidate to become the next taoiseach in gullible little ireland?? Eamon Gilmore - long time good friend of the union leaders. We're screwed.

20Cent · 18-10-2010 04:06PM

Got mine in two days.
You can still drive with the receipt afaik.

McNulty737 · 18-10-2010 04:11PM

I'm surprised you got it in two days - they were adamant it would take three weeks.

You can drive with the receipt, but you cannot renew your insurance with one.

20Cent · 18-10-2010 04:16PM

McNulty737 wrote: »

I'm surprised you got it in two days - they were adamant it would take three weeks.

You can drive with the receipt, but you cannot renew your insurance with one.

Well I was travelling a few days later and needed to hire a car. Got it fast tracked just showed them printout of tickets. They were very helpful about the whole thing.
Didn't think you need a licence to renew insurance do it over the phone.

Crasp · 18-10-2010 04:17PM

i got my replacement made up there and then, same as if you were renewing you licence or applying for a new one e.g. after passing a driving test.

I fail to understand why it will take 3 weeks?

Yawns · 18-10-2010 04:21PM

His insurance company won't insure him until he sends a copy of licence?

20Cent · 18-10-2010 04:44PM

Yawns wrote: »

His insurance company won't insure him until he sends a copy of licence?

Looks like an inefficient private sector is the root of his problem.

McNulty737 · 18-10-2010 04:55PM

Just to clarify, i was told with 100% certainty that it will take three weeks to replace the licence.

I'm going with a new insurance company that wishes to see my licence before insuring me.

20cent - the efficient insurance company i'm dealing with will actually insure me over the phone once they receive a faxed copy of my licence.

Crasp · 18-10-2010 04:58PM

McNulty737 wrote: »

Just to clarify, i was told with 100% certainty that it will take three weeks to replace the licence.

I'm going with a new insurance company that wishes to see my licence before insuring me.

20cent - the efficient insurance company i'm dealing with will actually insure me over the phone once they receive a faxed copy of my licence.

did they give you a reason why? I've never had to wait more than the time in the queue at the tax office for any licence.

Would you be faster applying for it through the post?

20Cent · 18-10-2010 05:04PM

McNulty737 wrote: »

Just to clarify, i was told with 100% certainty that it will take three weeks to replace the licence.

I'm going with a new insurance company that wishes to see my licence before insuring me.

20cent - the efficient insurance company i'm dealing with will actually insure me over the phone once they receive a faxed copy of my licence.

You first said you were renewing. Now its a new policy so different story I guess. Still I'd call them say you need it more quickly 3 weeks sounds wrong.

sarumite · 18-10-2010 05:14PM

It took me 2 weeks plus an additional €50 "express processing" fee to get my passport. Its a joke when you have to pay an extra €50 just to get someone to do their job properly.

McNulty737 · 18-10-2010 05:16PM

Crasp wrote: »

did they give you a reason why? I've never had to wait more than the time in the queue at the tax office for any licence.

Would you be faster applying for it through the post?

She just said 'thats how long it takes', i assume they have to send the application off to another office, but after reading the replies here i'm gonna go back in tomorrow and ask another worker there what the story is.

You first said you were renewing. Now its a new policy so different story I guess. Still I'd call them say you need it more quickly 3 weeks sounds wrong.

You're right I wasnt clear in my first post - it is a new insurance company...and i will have a word in the motor office tomorrow.

Crasp · 18-10-2010 05:18PM

McNulty737 wrote: »

She just said 'thats how long it takes', i assume they have to send the application off to another office, but after reading the replies here i'm gonna go back in tomorrow and ask another worker there what the story is.

You're right I wasnt clear in my first post - it is a new insurance company...and i will have a word in the motor office tomorrow.

Did you get the "lost document" form stamped in the Garda station, aye?

Boskowski · 18-10-2010 07:11PM

It obviously doesn't take 3 weeks to print out the license, but there is (also obviously) a lot of other tasks being carried out by the motor tax offices.

Someone needs to verify what they have on record, process your application etc. I guess if they had nothing else to do and were just waiting for you to show up with your misplaced drivers license you'd walk out the door with a new license in under 30 mins.

But since we don't have a motor tax office for every single citizen in the country hanging on stand-by you will have to put up with the fact your application will have to work it's way through the workflow queue like everybody else's.

But don't let common sense get in the way of a good rant... ;-)

Cookie_Monster · 18-10-2010 07:19PM

I don't understand why the insurance company even need the licence. they should only require you to tell them the number, I don't see the need for them to have anything more than that.

murphaph · 18-10-2010 08:10PM

I've been waiting since MAY for an E104 form from Ireland that proves I paid my PRSI like a good taxpayer for 12 years before leaving that innefficient dump. I NEED this document in Germany and the German authorities cannot understand why it would take half a year to get a simple piece of paper that is issued within a few days here.

I rang the dept. in Donegal when I applied and was told it would take "in excess of 3 months" to be processed. What a fcuking bunch of jokers. I'm lucky, I'm working but if I was made unemployed I would DESPERATELY need that E104 form to prove my entitlement to social welfare here, otherwise I would get nothing! That's why I'm anxious to get my hands on it.

Gumbo · 18-10-2010 08:24PM

renewed my licence in the Smithfield Tax Office last month on a Monday and i had the licence in my hand by the Friday. The guy was probably just giving you the worse case scenario.

murphaph wrote: »

I've been waiting since MAY for an E104 form from Ireland that proves I paid my PRSI like a good taxpayer for 12 years before leaving that innefficient dump. I NEED this document in Germany and the German authorities cannot understand why it would take half a year to get a simple piece of paper that is issued within a few days here.

I rang the dept. in Donegal when I applied and was told it would take "in excess of 3 months" to be processed. What a fcuking bunch of jokers. I'm lucky, I'm working but if I was made unemployed I would DESPERATELY need that E104 form to prove my entitlement to social welfare here, otherwise I would get nothing! That's why I'm anxious to get my hands on it.

it happens everywhere man, my cousin brought in a car form the UK last year and had to ring the DVLA in the UK for a replacement V5 Cert so he could VRT it, took him nearly 4 months!

20Cent · 18-10-2010 08:34PM

murphaph wrote: »

I've been waiting since MAY for an E104 form from Ireland that proves I paid my PRSI like a good taxpayer for 12 years before leaving that innefficient dump. I NEED this document in Germany and the German authorities cannot understand why it would take half a year to get a simple piece of paper that is issued within a few days here.

I rang the dept. in Donegal when I applied and was told it would take "in excess of 3 months" to be processed. What a fcuking bunch of jokers. I'm lucky, I'm working but if I was made unemployed I would DESPERATELY need that E104 form to prove my entitlement to social welfare here, otherwise I would get nothing! That's why I'm anxious to get my hands on it.

You only need it if you are claiming benefits there. In which case it is fast tracked.

Head The Wall · 19-10-2010 05:33AM

Boskowski wrote: »

It obviously doesn't take 3 weeks to print out the license, but there is (also obviously) a lot of other tasks being carried out by the motor tax offices.

Someone needs to verify what they have on record, process your application etc. I guess if they had nothing else to do and were just waiting for you to show up with your misplaced drivers license you'd walk out the door with a new license in under 30 mins.

But since we don't have a motor tax office for every single citizen in the country hanging on stand-by you will have to put up with the fact your application will have to work it's way through the workflow queue like everybody else's.

But don't let common sense get in the way of a good rant... ;-)

I have also received mine in a few days and it seems to be the norm here, if thats the case what sort of clown working in the office doesn't know that. It has never taken mine more than 5 days max so I doubt the 3 weeks is a worst case scenario, probably a member of staff that doesn't know their arse from their elbow

20Cent wrote: »

You only need it if you are claiming benefits there. In which case it is fast tracked.

I would love to be relying on them if that is the case :rolleyes:

BKtje · 19-10-2010 07:49AM

It takes 5 minutes in switzerland to have a new plastic drivers licence issued after losing it. 3 weeks really boggles the mind unless it takes longer to create a paper printout than a plastic one.

BornToKill · 19-10-2010 08:45AM

McNulty737 wrote: »

it leaves me bewildered once again as to how inefficient our public service is.

It's you who lost the licence though ...

Paige Turner · 19-10-2010 08:58AM

The wait time in waterford city is crazy for re-newing licences also. My licence was due to expire the the begining of July this year, I sent it in the last week of June to be re-newed. After 2 weeks of not hearing back I phoned the Motor Tax office and was advised there was a 5 week wait. The 6th of August, Ireceived my new licence. Crazy.

Gumbo · 19-10-2010 10:45AM

Paige Turner wrote: »

The wait time in waterford city is crazy for re-newing licences also. My licence was due to expire the the begining of July this year, I sent it in the last week of June to be re-newed. After 2 weeks of not hearing back I phoned the Motor Tax office and was advised there was a 5 week wait. The 6th of August, Ireceived my new licence. Crazy.

you sent it in a week before renewal.
you can renew you licence within 3 months of the expirey so you could of sent it earlier.

as i said it depends where you do the transaction, i had mine within 5 days from Dublin.

McNulty737 · 19-10-2010 10:47AM

BornToKill wrote: »

It's you who lost the licence though ...

It is the first time in over 8 years of driving that i have lost my licence, which is pretty good considering my work takes me outside the country regularly and i have to bring it with me. These things happen in life....on the other hand it taking 3 weeks to print out a piece of paper is just evidence of the lack of technological advances and efficiencies in one of the most generously paid public sectors in the world.

ronkmonster · 19-10-2010 10:49AM

I lost my licence 2 years ago. Reported it missing at garda station on saturday and got form dropped in on the Monday; had new licence posted out on the Tuesday.

murphaph · 19-10-2010 10:50AM

20Cent wrote: »

You only need it if you are claiming benefits there. In which case it is fast tracked.

You must be taking the p!ss? Fast tracked? So what, I'd get it in maybe a month?

Anyway, when I rang Donegal I was specifically told that it would take longer if I applied as "a private citizen" and that it would indeed be prioritised if the German authorities were looking for it....prioritised to "only" take about 8 weeks that is! You'd starve to fcuking death waiting on the Irish PS to issue a simple piece of paper.

keithclancy · 19-10-2010 10:52AM

sarumite wrote: »

It took me 2 weeks plus an additional €50 "express processing" fee to get my passport. Its a joke when you have to pay an extra €50 just to get someone to do their job properly.

I paid 135 euros for the Express service here in the Netherlands through the Irish embassy.

took 6 working days, fantastic service, MILES ahead (and much cheaper) than the UK Passport service.

Standard Irish passport service via the Embassy takes about 5-6 weeks apparently.

Dont mind paying the exta 55 squids since it works out at an extra 5.50 / year for the thing.

In Cork, I filled out the form, waited about 5 minutes and they made it up there and then.

I think its just Dublin you have the long waiting time due to the population density.

Jennyfer · 19-10-2010 10:58AM

I went in Thursday morning to apply for new licence, was about 5 mins in there and it arrived in yesterdays post. I was actually surprised, thought it would have taken a couple of weeks.

keithclancy · 19-10-2010 10:59AM

murphaph wrote: »

You must be taking the p!ss? Fast tracked? So what, I'd get it in maybe a month?

Anyway, when I rang Donegal I was specifically told that it would take longer if I applied as "a private citizen" and that it would indeed be prioritised if the German authorities were looking for it....prioritised to "only" take about 8 weeks that is! You'd starve to fcuking death waiting on the Irish PS to issue a simple piece of paper.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/moving-country/moving-abroad/leaving-ireland/leaving_ireland_and_your_social_security_entitlements

If you leaving Ireland you get the S1 and U1 (Replacement for E104) while in Ireland. If your abroad and need to claim benefits then this needs to be done by the agency in the country you are in.

Similarly if you move from Germany back to Ireland you'd need your S1 and U1 forms for the same.

Gumbo · 19-10-2010 11:05AM

McNulty737 wrote: »

....on the other hand it taking 3 weeks to print out a piece of paper is just evidence of the lack of technological advances and efficiencies in one of the most generously paid public sectors in the world.

i would like to hear from the OP and see when they actually get it, i would hazzard a guess that it will be alot less than 3 weeks.

McNulty737 · 19-10-2010 11:07AM

kceire wrote: »

i would like to hear from the OP and see when they actually get it, i would hazzard a guess that it will be alot less than 3 weeks.

No prob....i'll post here as soon as it arrives.

3 weeks for a replacement drivers licence.

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