PHOTO PROFESSIONALS ARE to meet with the Road Safety Authority about the new photo system for driving licences in Ireland.

The meeting comes after the professionals claimed that the new system could cost jobs, and after pharmacists warned of the potentially ‘devastating’ effect of the changes.

The new driving licence, which is in the style of a credit card, will be looked after by the company SGS, which was hired after an EU Tender process. The system will begin in September of this year.

SGS will look after the photography element and said it will not accept any photograph for the licence other than those captured on their premises.

Meeting

In November, Photo ID Professionals said they were seeking a meeting with Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, about the issue. They said that the new system could impact on an estimated 4,000 people employed in photography for photo shops, pharmacies, camera shops and more.

Tadhg Foley, head of Photo ID Professionals and GM of Photo-Me photo booths in Ireland, said that the industry is not against the new IDs but cannot understand why a sole provider is being used.

Today, the group announced that it is to meet with the RSA on the issue.

Foley explained:

On the table for discussion will be the 500 jobs that will be lost as a result of this decision and we will also be asking why the RSA included  the option to accept a scanned photo in their tender document yet they are now advising that the only format is to have a photo taken on site in the SGS  office.  We look forward to getting answers to a number of queries surrounding the issue on Monday.

He added that Stephen Lynam, Director of Retail Ireland at IBEC, will be attending the meeting also.

Earlier this month, a union representing the country’s pharmacists raised concerns that the forthcoming new system would have a ‘devastating effect’ on hundreds of smaller traders.

The Irish Pharmacy Union’s Daragh Connolly said in a statement that the “vast majority” of pharmacists supplied photo services:

This will have a knock-on effect in terms of lost revenue, which potentially could impact on jobs.

Read: Pharmacists claim new driving licence system will have ‘devastating’ effect>

Read: Photo professionals say new driver’s licence system could cost jobs>