Mr. Mark Synnott:

I am happy to take that question. Last year, we experienced capacity issues. We saw the long-term implications of a lack of apprenticeships entering the motor trade. As a result, we looked as best we could at all levers that would be available to us to increase capacity. The solution on which we settled was staff members who, in essence, are assistants would do the largely automated stages of the test before handing the vehicle over to a qualified mechanic who would do the underbody inspection. We engaged with the RSA to ensure it was within its gift to allow us to do so and that it would comply with legislation. Having done that, we engaged with staff on a long-term engagement to explain why we wanted to do this. There was a significant amount of back and forth on it. Ultimately, it was referred to the Workplace Relations Commission for conciliation and then on to the Labour Court. We had a session with the Labour Court in late November and it ultimately issued a recommendation that the approach should be trialled. That was balloted on by staff. Unfortunately, in recent weeks there was an overwhelming rejection by the staff of that proposal. We are left with the genesis of an idea for what we would like to do. We now need to evaluate whether there is an opportunity to pursue it with the staff again. We do not intend to force it in. The staff have made their position clear on that front. I still think there is a concept there that we need to explore and flesh out and work with the staff-----