‘I was irate’: Loose Women’s Janet Street-Porter on being refused rental car at Cork Airport

She said because she has a UK licence and was able book the car online, and because she had driven rental cars without issue in Italy, France, and Spain over the past couple of years, she did not expect to be told she could not drive here.

“At Cork Airport, I’ve got to the car rental counter, I’ve filled in the form and it’s all gone through, I booked it in advance,” she said.

“I was just about to take the keys and the guy went: ‘One thing — have you got the doctor’s letter?'”

UK driving licence holders are permitted to drive here if they live in the UK and are visiting.

But in Ireland, licenses expire the day before a motorist turns 75. After that point, they can apply for either a three-year or a one-year licence, subject to a certification of fitness to drive from a medical professional dated within a month of their application.

In the UK though, things are slightly different.

There, motorists over the age of 70 are required to renew their driving licenses every three years, provided they meet minimum eyesight standards. Drivers over this age with specific medical conditions must inform the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of their health information, though they are only required to undergo examination to determine their fitness to drive if the DVLA deems this to be necessary. 

Essentially, it is down to drivers to declare whether or not they are fit to drive.

In Ms Street-Porter’s case, when she arrived in Cork, she was told by a car rental company employee that, because of her age, she needed a letter from her GP as well as one from her insurance company stating she had had no accidents in the last five years. These are documents car rental companies here are permitted to ask of over 75s.

Being told this information, she said, “went down like a cup of cold sick”.

“I was absolutely irate.

“To me, that’s age discrimination, pure and simple. I could drive in Italy, drive in France, I can drive in Spain, but I can’t drive in Ireland,” she said.

She claimed the requirements for 75s to drive in Ireland are discriminatory as cars are “so important to older people” and because “they’re not responsible for most deaths, that’s younger people”.

In Ireland, 26% of road fatalities last year were aged between 16 and 25, while Just 11% were over the age of 75.

In the UK, however, 24% of road fatalities in 2023 were aged from 17 to 29, while 23% were aged 70 and over.

After her “depressing” experience in Cork, Ms Street-Porter said she took a taxi to her friend’s house, which “cost a fortune”.

“God knows what you’re doing in Ireland if you’re over 75 and you don’t meet standards,” she said.