Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister's response. While I raised this in relation to my own constituency, the Minister said there are fewer than 100 staff dedicated to this nationally, which seems to me a meagre number. It is no wonder that there are such waiting times.

Averages do not properly capture the picture because some can get tests quite rapidly if they are in a position to avail of a cancellation, which most people are not. Anyone who is working full-time does not have that level of flexibility because he or she is offered one cancellation date and can either take it or leave it and wait for the dates that he or she has selected, which could be five or six months down the road. That is an unreasonable situation. For example, if a person undergoes training to become a fully qualified driver, applies for the test, waits five or six months to do it but does not reach the standard, he or she will have to apply again and wait another five or six months. That would amount to a year spent waiting to become a fully qualified driver even though the driver's standard of driving might be quite good. In fairness, such drivers should be in a position to resit the test quite quickly, become fully qualified drivers, having gone to the effort, and not face the restrictions that learner drivers face.

Given the amount of additional tasks that learner drivers have been asked to do in recent years, it is quite reasonable that they should expect a sensible waiting time of two months or three months, not five or six months and potentially a year if they are repeating it. I put it to the Minister again, because this is one of the solutions locally at least, that he should consider whether there is scope for a second testing centre location to serve the greater Cork city area.

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