Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department and the RSA are aware that some driving instructors disagree with the decision by the RSA to close washing facilities and waiting rooms at driver test centres, to ensure compliance with public and occupational health requirements during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. I understand from the RSA that prior to the current pandemic some test centres across the country offered toilet facilities, and in some cases indoor waiting rooms, where instructors could choose to wait while their students were out undergoing their test. To be clear, some test centres around the country are very small and do not have, and have never had, large waiting rooms or toilet facilities available for instructors.

As the Deputy will be aware, driver testing is continuing under level 5 restrictions, but only for candidates involved in the provision of essential services or essential retail outlets. The RSA has thus been presented with the challenge of facilitating these essential tests while at the same time safeguarding the safety of its staff and the public by minimising the risk of spreading the virus.

I understand that, at present, toilet facilities at test centres are only available to the learner driver who is undertaking his or her driving test. There are no waiting area facilities available in any of the centres for either the learner or the instructor. The learner is contacted by phone while he or she is outside the centre and is then invited inside by the driver tester. The decision to temporarily close public toilet and waiting facilities has been taken by the Road Safety Authority in the interests of public safety and as part of its overall Covid-19 resumption of services protocol in line with health and safety risk assessment procedures, which had to be adopted as part of the RSA's resumption plans. I assure the Deputy that this is not a decision that has been taken lightly. I am sure he will agree that the health and safety of the workers and those in driving test centres need to be our priority.

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