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NEW DIGITAL DRIVING licences are to be rolled out this year as part of a “digital wallet” that people can keep on their smartphone.
It will be launched in tandem with a “life events portal”, which is a one-stop shop for engaging with public services for events such as births, deaths, marriages and divorces.
The move was due to be completed before the end of 2024, but a pilot scheme identified accessibility issues for people with additional needs. The Department for Public Expenditure says it is also working with national and European stakeholders to make the wallet secure.
The digital wallet will store versions of one’s birth cert, driver’s license, Age Card and other official documents, such as marriage certificates.
The digital driving licence will be acceptable to gardaí.
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Speaking about the project last year, Ossian Smyth, then-Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, said the life events portal is for “significant moments in your life when you need to deal with many different parts of the government, like when you have a baby”.
“You need to register the child’s name, maybe apply for child benefit, register immunisations, put their name down for school – that usually involves using many different websites, now you can do it in one place with this portal,” he explained.
Smyth said that he recently lost someone close to him, and experienced what it is like to deal with different Government services to inform them of that change.
He said that the online portal will simplify that process.
The Department said €20 million has been allocated to the rollout for 2025.
The UK is to rollout a similar system this year too, which will store licences and veteran cards.
The Department says it is working to ensure cross-border interoperability of digital identities.
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