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

I thank Deputy McNamara for tabling this very important motion. It is ridiculous to think that at the start of the pandemic there was a six-week waiting list. During the worst of the pandemic it increased to six months. Now we are back to approximately ten weeks. This is a ridiculous length of time for people who desperately need to get their licence and to get on the road. At present 104,398 learners are waiting to take the driving test.

The system we had in the county I represent, County Kerry, was absolutely perfect. You could visit the office, take a ticket and queue to be dealt with by a person. It was a perfect system that we were very happy with. You had to wait but you were quite willing and glad to do so because you knew you would be served. The current system is unworkable, unfriendly and unfair to the person who is important, namely, the customer or person waiting for the service.

Unfortunately, in all departments there seems to be a massive desire to disconnect from the people. They do not want to engage on a telephone or the Internet; they do not want to engage at all. They definitely do not want to meet a person face to face. I have news: offices and businesses are open, and hiding behind the pandemic will not be accepted by the public anymore. When people want a service, whether it concerns a driving licence, medical card or the processing of an application for a grant, they want to deal with staff on a personal basis.

I thank the staff who work in the service in Kerry. I am aware that they are working under pressure. It is the system that is wrong, not the individuals. I am not going to be critical of the individuals working in County Kerry because, regardless of whether they are in the housing or planning department of Kerry County Council or any other section, they are good. So, too, are the others but we need a better service for our customers.

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