Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to bring to the Tánaiste's attention that there are almost 3,000 learner drivers waiting for a driver test in County Kerry. Since lorries and buses can do the theory test online, why can the theory test not be set up online for all vehicles? The Government is supposedly working with the Road Safety Authority, RSA, to get the theory test online for more than one year. Why is it taking more than one year to get this off the ground?

Traditionally, farmers' sons and daughters could do their theory test when they reached 16 years of age, get their provisional licence and drive a tractor to help out on the farm or get a job locally for the summer. This is not possible now. Young drivers cannot do the theory test, get their provisional licence or get on the road. It is essential for everybody to have a licence in rural Ireland. I am asking the Tánaiste to ask the testers to work on Saturdays and Sundays to deal with the backlog and to ensure the theory test can be applied for online for all learner drivers to get on the road.

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