Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

Following a competitive tender, the contract for the provision of the national car test service, NCTS, was awarded by the Road Safety Authority to Applus for a ten–year period from 2010 to 2019 and it assumed responsibility for the provision of a national car testing service on 4 January 2010. The contract requires the company to meet a number of specific performance standards in a wide range of operational areas, including customer waiting times, customer satisfaction and test integrity. It sets out the penalties that can be imposed in the event that the contractor fails to meet the performance requirements set out. The RSA monitors the performance of the NCT service continuously and has regular meetings with the service provider to ensure compliance with contract requirements.

The question of performance is a matter for the RSA and I will convey the Deputy's question to the agency for a direct reply. I ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response is not received within ten days.

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