Welsh office can’t print licence in Irish

Environment Minister Alex Attwood says the ‘fada,’ a diacritical mark which lengthens the sound of a vowel and translates as ‘long,’ can’t be printed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) machine in Wales. First time applicants can specify that their personal details be displayed in Irish, including their address so long as the Irish version is officially adopted, but the licence machine won’t be able to print it out properly. Current licence holders can also appy to have their details translated free of charge but to no avail.

Mr Attwood explained: “To take advantage of very significant cost benefits, Northern Ireland driving licences are printed and issued by the DVLA in Swansea. DVLA do not have the capacity to print fadas on driving licences. Therefore while the Irish name may be displayed, associated fadas cannot be printed on Northern Ireland driving licences. DVA are currently examining options for the provision of a new Driver Licensing IT system and printing options for licences may be considered as part of that project.”