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

The current public health emergency has had a profoundly disruptive effect on the learning and testing system in this country. I can assure the Deputy that the Department is very aware of the challenges facing the Road Safety Authority, RSA, as it works hard to manage the backlog in the driver testing and theory testing service. The driving test service is not currently operating as normal due to the impact of Covid-19. Tests are only available, under level 5 restrictions, to essential workers. This has had a significant impact on waiting times. RSA driver testers are undertaking driving tests in extraordinarily difficult conditions. The driving test is conducted in an enclosed space for a period of over 15 minutes, where physical distancing is not possible. Given the significant risk to testers when conducting a driving test, the Government has deemed that the driver testing service should be available only for essential workers in level 5 Covid-19 restrictions.

Due to the suspension of driver testing services in the first 2020 lockdown, along with the health protocols since resumption of service and the further curtailing of services during subsequent level 5 restrictions, a significant backlog has developed. While the service is limited during level 5 restrictions, the RSA is examining ways of increasing the number of tests within health constraints with an eye to resuming wider testing after level 5. This includes increasing the number of testing staff to help reduce and, over time, eliminate the backlog. Following discussions with the RSA, my Department has approved the hiring of a further 40 temporary testers for 22 months.

The process of recruitment is now under way. However, it will take some time for people to be selected and trained. These new hires will be in addition to the 36 temporary testers which I previously gave sanction to rehire during 2020. The provision of extra testers will not on its own suffice to address the problem. One of the difficulties is with the capacity of test centres themselves, given limits on throughput due to Covid-19.

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