Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The testers feel that the full complement of 119 is more than adequate to meet demands, although the system has always operated with less than a full complement. However, to give the system the flexibility to bring in extra testers on occasion, or more permanent testers, will make it possible to reduce backlogs. I can only operate on the basis of what I am told by the experts — the driver testers — who are at the coal face. They tell me how they operate and what they can cope with. If they deliver and this process delivers, and the backlog is cleared in approximately 18 months, drivers will be able to apply for and get their driving licence in just a few weeks. That is the position that must be sustained into the future.

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