Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I will go though the motion for clarity and to put it on the record of the Dáil. The motion reads, "the current National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) contract, which was put in place in 2021 while the attention of the body politic was diverted by the Covid-19 pandemic, no longer offers a walk-in service, the walk-in service having originally ceased temporarily in March 2020 to ensure the safety of the service's staff and of the public using the service during the Covid-19 pandemic". That is an important point because I do not think that there was a need to divert completely from the walk-in service after that temporary situation of a walk-in service.

The motion continues, "the Road Safety Authority (RSA) awarded the contract to the Swiss company SGS, which operates 34 offices, some of them on a part-time basis, over An Post which has a network of 950 post offices". If the RSA was concerned about long queues and waiting times for people applying for the national driver licence then I would have thought that access to 950 post offices would be a more accessible way for people to get their driving licences.

As has been said by my colleague, the outsourcing of public services for profit is in the DNA of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. The same policy has been adopted by the Department of Social Protection, with the local employment service, LES, throughout the country and new contracts. I have read a paper on the matter, and it is very clear that private companies are literally licking their lips with the opening of the welfare market. Can one imagine? Public services being declared a welfare market and private companies are waiting to pounce on them.

The motion continues also states, "a verified MyGovlD account, which requires a Public Services Card (PSC), is needed to avail of the online service despite a previous Data Protection Commission investigation into the legality of the PSC", which the Minister of State referred to in her response. Can passports or other forms of ID be used to avail of the online service? Not many people would oppose an online service once it is easy to use, accessible and there is an alternative walk-in service in terms of getting one's ID.

The motion states that cash payments are not accepted. That is ridiculous. My next door neighbour does not have a bank card. She uses cash all of the time and she has a car and drives. Loads of people still make cash payments yet we have a move towards the whole of concept of card payments only because that suits the banks and the State.

There is mention in the motion of insufficient staffing. The Minister of State indicated that there will be more training. I would have thought that staff to service the NDLS would have featured in the initial tender. I see that the contract will last up to 2023. I demand that the Minister put the contract for NDLS back out to tender in order that there will be greater facilitation of direct access, walk-ins, cash payments, etc.

I am sure the tendering process always depends on what is sought and the requirements put into the tender. I call on the Minister of State to consider changing that tender process and to allow people to access it more directly.

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