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

My understanding is that testing capacity is at the maximum allowed under public health advice. There is a limit to the number of tests that can be physically carried out each day due to the level 5 restrictions. Even with the hire of extra driver testers, that in itself will not help the current backlog due to the time involved and the limitations on the throughput in the centres. I assure Deputy O'Rourke that we are in constant contact with the RSA, which is working very hard to come up with ways to reduce the backlog when the level 5 restrictions are lifted in order to carry out more tests per day. Overtime is being considered to allow tests to be carried out later in the evening and at weekends. A number of measures are under consideration, but while level 5 restrictions are in place we are curtailed for public health reasons. We are trying to keep everybody safe - the instructor and the learner as well.

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