Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is absolute chaos in driver test centres around the theory tests. I have been raising this issue with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, for months in this House.

Four people turned up at the Clonmel test centre last Tuesday morning, from Cork, Dungarvan, Cahir and Clonmel, and it was locked. I have been digging and the staff in my office, Ms Triona O'Flynn and others, have done great work on this. The office in Clonmel will only open for two days on 24 and 26 June and on 1, 8, 19 , 22, 24, 26 and 30 July. That is seven days in total for the month of July.

The Tánaiste has lovely acronyms and buzz words such as build back better and saying the economy taking off like a rocket. He heard Deputy Fitzmaurice and others saying that construction workers, farmers and people trying to get a college cannot get their theory tests. How are we going to build back better or take off like a rocket? I hope the Tánaiste is not too fatigued after his Ard Fheis on top of building 40,000 houses. I would say he is on cloud-cuckoo-land. These centres must be opened. I met with the Road Safety Authority, RSA. It met me when the Tánaiste would not meet me. I thank it for that but it most open these centres and let the people get their tests.

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