Ireland’s planned rollout of digital driving licences has been pushed back to later this year following accessibility concerns identified during pilot testing. The digital licence will be part of a broader “digital wallet” initiative that allows citizens to store official documents on their smartphones.
The new system, which has received €20 million in funding for 2025, will include a comprehensive “life events portal” designed to streamline interactions with government services for major life events such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces.
Beyond driving licences, the digital wallet will store various official documents including birth certificates, Age Cards, and marriage certificates. The Department for Public Expenditure confirms that gardaí will accept the digital version of driving licences.
The delay in implementation stems from the need to address accessibility issues for people with additional needs, discovered during pilot testing. The Department is also working to ensure robust security measures and compatibility with European digital identity standards.
According to The Journal, the initiative parallels similar developments in the UK, which is also launching a digital document system this year. Both countries are working to ensure cross-border compatibility of their digital identity systems.
The life events portal aims to simplify complex bureaucratic processes that typically require interaction with multiple government departments. As former Minister Ossian Smyth explained, events like registering a newborn or reporting a death will become more streamlined through this centralized system.