I renewed my driving licence today, and lost some categories.

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

I actually exchanged my UK licence for an Irish one and on the form I ticked all the categories that I currently held on my UK licence. But when they went through the application some categories were ruled out because I didn't have a medical. The categories that I lost were C1, C1E, D1 and D1E.

I'm not that bothered because I have no desire to drive a minibus or van, and haven't done so for at least 15 years, but it seems a bit sneaky. I've read through the form and the notes again and I can't find the bit that says I need a medical for those categories. Are they trying to phase out those categories on existing licences? My H passed his test for the first time about four years ago and he only has B on his licence, the other categories would have required a further test.

I was there for about 15 minutes and I could hear some of the other counters and people were unexpectedly losing those categories on renewal too.

You have needed a medical and separate test for the categories you listed above for years now. They are not automatically added.
You can have them added back with medical. But there would be a time limit.

I don't want them back really, I don't think I've ever used those categories. There are quite a few vans, like transit, that are in category B if I ever needed to use one. I can't have them back as I signed them away, I would have to sit a test for them now. I could have held off changing my licence and got a medical but, as I said, I don't need those categories anyway.

Perhaps it was well publicised when it changed, but I would have missed that as I was still in the UK then.