Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I receive considerable correspondence from people waiting for a driving test. Two cases come to mind. One lady, who works in a doctor’s surgery, has been waiting for 21 weeks. She has to get public transport from Bunratty to Ennis every day. It is scandalous. Another lady, who runs her own business, has to get a taxi to the premises every day from Clarecastle. She has been waiting 16 weeks for a driving test. It is outrageous that these young people are being held back in what they want to do.

Representatives of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, were here a few weeks ago and I just did not get what they were saying. There was an opportunity to keep in employment 37 trained testers who were in the system but who, for whatever reason, had only temporary contracts. The RSA would not make them permanent. I understand they were given an opportunity to enter an open competition. Given the problems we have, with 180,000 people waiting for a test, including the two individuals I mentioned, how are we supposed to function?