Mr. Brendan Walsh:

We have 131 active testers carrying out tests at this time. We recently moved from our Covid conditions to a situation where we are now carrying out eight tests a day rather than seven. The lead time of 15.5 weeks we see today is driven by a combination of increases in the number of individuals requiring tests and the fact we have had some retirements within the testing environment. Those factors together have resulted in a significant increase in the lead time. We are working with our colleagues to ensure we are offering overtime during the week and at weekends to try to carry out the maximum number of tests. At the moment, we are carrying out approximately 3,800 tests per week, which is quite a high number by our historical standards. We also have sanction from the Department of Transport to take on an additional 30 permanent testers in our testing environment, which will help to support us. However, the reality is there has been a significant increase, particular in the age demographic of 20 to 30, in the number of people seeking driver tests and, in addition, the number seeking to undergo the approved driving instructor training.