Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and Jill Gray in his office for facilitating this Topical Issue debate. We have been raising this matter with the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and everyone else. The dogs in the street are aghast about it. Why is there such inertia in the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and the Department of Transport in dealing with this issue? A lady in my constituency has had her driver theory test rescheduled seven times since last October. Just this morning she received an email from the RSA to say that her test scheduled for 14 May, when the country will be reopened at level 3, has been cancelled already. It spends more time cancelling tests now than focusing on getting people driving. Farmers, agricultural contractors and all businesses need these young drivers to be on the road to help them. Many people who want to go to work, such as trainee nurses going on work placement or work experience, cannot go anywhere without a car.

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