Sir, - I have been working in the Middle East for the past four years and decided to take advantage of the Celtic Tiger and return home where pastures are allegedly greener. Clearly the smart thing to do, as all the marketing campaigns and radio advertisements have been begging expatriates, would be to return home to a brand spanking new land of opportunity. It seemed life at home would be easy and as an expat I would be welcomed home with open arms by the powers that be. Yeah, right!
Before even looking for a job, I decided to fork out my hard-earned wealth and purchase a car. After four years with a full Saudi driving licence and four years claims-free insurance, I had no doubts that getting insured and "on the road" would be routine. That was five weeks ago and to this day my car sits outside gathering dust, uninsured and untaxed with little hope of being used until I take a driving test - whenever that date comes.
The rule of thumb when getting insurance quotes is to shop around. So I did. To my great surprise most insurance companies would not insure me and those that would were looking for £3,000. I couldn't believe it so I continued shopping around and got more confused and frustrated the more quotes I got. Clearly, each insurance company has its own set of guidelines and criteria, which must be followed to secure a quote. The diverse and varying criteria between each company lead me to believe they make up the rules as they go along. Furthermore, should somebody fall outside the norm or, God forbid, have a foreign licence and insurance, he must pay the piper.
Firstly, neither my Saudi nor my international licence are acceptable here. Oh, the international licence is fine if I hired a car but as for buying a car, it's not worth the paper it's written on (I wonder if hire purchase would have worked?). The Saudi licence is totally unacceptable irrespective of having taken a driving test, eye test and earning the right to drive. Secondly, four years certified no claims insurance by the Norwich Union is non-transferrable and useless in Ireland, even by Norwich Union themselves. Thirdly, I need to be 30 years old to be insured on a provisional licence (somebody please explain that one!) and finally, I'm male. Don't anyone ever talk to me about discrimination against women again.
It was suggested that I apply for a provisional licence. From the insurance company's viewpoint, the category I slot easiest into is a learner driver with no driving experience and first time insurance. But I've been driving for years!
Insurance companies who preach about accidents on the road, irresponsible young male drivers, drink driving, road rage etc., seem to be tarring all males with the same brush, be they 17, 25 or even 30 years old. Surely a 25- to 30-year-old with a proven foreign track record should be given some consideration. Welcome home, expatriates. If you don't fit into the local rules, tough luck. Of course we welcome and encourage repatriation but you'll pay for it! - Yours, etc.,
Tom O'Donnell, Clonmel, Co Tipperary.