You will not need to apply if you’re an Irish citizen or have indefinite leave to stay, but any close relatives from outside the UK and Ireland will. When you presently keep a Northern Ireland driving licence and you understand your driver number (shown about the paper counterpart or at https://northernirelanddrivinglic91245.angelinsblog.com/30910142/which-countries-copyright-can-be-exchanged-in-ireland-an-overview