Mr. Ken Spratt:

I thank the Deputy. There are a number of questions and I will do my best to answer as many as I can. I may in due course call on my colleague, Mr O’Leary, who heads up our roads and related matters division.

First, there is a significant backlog in the number of tests as a result of Covid-19. That is something that we want to tackle as quickly as we possibly can. Our colleagues at the RSA were looking at an additional 80 contract testers to be hired. It is also looking at permission to retain or rehire 36 testers which the authority previously had or may have on its books at the moment, but wants to ensure that it has the full 36.

Initially, we gave approval for those 36 to be retained or rehired and for an additional 40. However, given that the pandemic has lasted longer than we had anticipated when we first decided on this, the management board just on this past Tuesday took a decision to provide the additional 40. Now, instead of there being an additional 40, there will now be an additional 80 testers. The first tranche of 40 are in training at the moment and will be testing through their training in June and July. The second tranche of 40, once we have settled everything and have crossed the t's and dotted the i's with our colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, will be taken from the panel we have in place as we do not have to go through a recruitment process, and provided that we get that sanction, we will be able to put those in place reasonably quickly. That will give us additional testing capacity.

The RSA is also working on the setting up of additional centres. We are hoping that we will be able to move through the backlog reasonably quickly. That should make a good and decent dent in the testing backlog.

As to the theory testing, I agree with the Deputy that in this day and age people want to access public services on all platforms and want user-friendly services to be provided very quickly. I was disappointed when I read reports on the online theory test being confined to certain technologies and operating systems. That is something that I am just hearing about in the past number of days and is something that I want to engage on with the RSA. If it is the case that this needs additional help from us, that is certainly something that we will be willing to consider.

Generally speaking, I have a very good personal relationship with the RSA as I believe has the Department. I meet with the chief executive of all of the agencies at least twice a year with nothing on the agenda. I also meet with them from time to time when needs arise. We have a good relationship but are very conscious of the need, to use the Deputy’s phrase, “ to get Ireland moving again” to ensure that people can get back to work, education and can go about their business as usual. In rural Ireland, in particular, that means that people must be able to drive their cars. We are very conscious of the need to get going on all of this.

We will leave no stone unturned to make sure we get the backlog cleared as quickly as possible. I commit to taking up the matters the Deputy raised with the chief executive before the close of business tomorrow.