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

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this very important debate. Prior to the pandemic, we had an issue with the waiting times for driving tests and theory tests. It is an issue I have highlighted time and again, as have my colleagues. Now the waiting list and the backlog of people who are eligible to take the test and want to take it is out of control. The Department of Transport and the RSA have failed young people time and again. The previous Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, and the hierarchy of the RSA were more interested in criminalising young people than educating them. In the past, proposals were put forward to the Department to overhaul the way we educate our young people on the rules of the road and assist them in obtaining a driving licence. Again, this was thrown to the side because commonsense suggestions get nowhere these days, unfortunately.

The current waiting list for driving tests is at a crisis point and needs to be tackled once and for all. Back in 2007 and 2008 SGS Ireland was brought in to reduce the waiting lists and this worked very well. Something like this will have to be done again in the immediate short term to ease the pressure on driving testers, of which we simply do not have enough. I could go on and on. In the past, very sensible and constructive proposals were put forward to deal with the driving tests, to both the Department of Transport and the RSA, and each time they fell on deaf ears. I am sorry to say this but I have no doubt that history will repeat itself and it will fall on deaf ears again.

I want to say to the people who contacted me as late as in the last ten minutes on my mobile phone, that the Rural Independent Group, led by Deputy Mattie McGrath, are here today asking the Minister of State please to do something for them. One young girl has had her theory test put back six times. Would the Minister of State like to be dealing with that person? Another person who spoke to Deputy Mattie McGrath had their test put back ten times. It is outrageous.

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