The National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) and Road Safety Authority (RSA) has “changed the wording” around the requirements for a W category driver licence, according to the body representing farm contractors.
The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) has said that the new wording – which the FCI says is a “reversal” of the previous position – on the RSA website now states that the authority will “review the position and requirements of the holders of category W with the Department of Transport”.
Earlier this week, the FCI had raised concerns that changed wording on rules for the W category of licence – which covers work vehicles other than land tractors – would have required such vehicles to be used “only for agricultural or forestry work”.
The FCI had said that these changes will affect many agricultural contractors who do some non-agricultural work as part of their services.
The association even said that it was aware that some contractors were requested to leave work sites this week as they could not produce a licence that would be valid under that changed wording.
However, an update today (Thursday, March 7) from the RSA seems to have diffused the situation, with the authority indicating that it will take consideration of the specific circumstances of W licence holders.
The FCI welcomed this latest update, but said it remains concerned that the initial change of wording took place “without any stakeholder consultation”.
John Hughes, national chair of the FCI, said: “We feel that it is unacceptable that government agencies such as the NDLS and RSA have the power to make changes to the rules with regard to driver licence categories without prior consultation among the relevant and impacted stakeholders.
“The former proposed wording added significant stress to our membership, many of whom have tractors engaged in activities that are other than strictly agricultural, but are rural based and have a significant benefit to their rural economy and rural employment.”
Hughes called on the FCI to outline how the initial change in the description of the W licence was introduced, and what the reasons for it were.
The association called it a “direct attack on the rural-based agricultural contractor sector in Ireland”.
“Were it to be introduced it would have meant that many businesses would have been forced to cease operations, as it would have impacted on the ability to carry out many public and other, work commitments in rural areas,” the FCI claimed.