Dáil debates

Thursday, 19 January 2023

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

National Car Test

9:00 am

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the question. The operation, oversight and delivery of the NCTS is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and it is the RSA which is responsible for the management of the contract for the NCTS with its contractor, Applus Inspection Services Ireland Ltd. As Minister of State at the Department of Transport, I do not have a specific role in operational matters, including the appointment of personnel by the NCTS or the conditions of their employment in that capacity. Accordingly, I have not had any meetings with trade unions on this matter. However, both I and my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, are cognisant of the difficulties motorists are experiencing when trying to secure test appointments and that this is causing immense worry and frustration. My officials are continuing weekly meetings with the RSA to monitor the ongoing work to reduce test delays and ensure all possible actions are being taken to bring the waiting list to an acceptable level in 2023.

My Department has facilitated any appropriate requests made to it as regards improvements. For example, at the RSA’s request, the Department engaged with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to secure approval for the recruitment of inspectors from outside the European Economic Area, EEA. Strong progress is being made in addressing the long-term staffing issues behind this backlog. Over 60 inspectors were recruited locally in 2022 and a further 50 vehicle inspectors started during the last week of 2022, bringing the total number of vehicle inspectors to 595 by the end of 2022. Further recruitment is ongoing in 2023, with seven more inspectors in training and an additional 15 recruits waiting to be trained. A number of other measures to provide additional capacity at test centres are also in place, including increased staff overtime; the temporary transfer of 20 testers from the NCTS contractor’s Spanish operation for a period of three months, eight of whom will continue for a further 12 months; and the forthcoming pilot for additional inspection personnel to assist vehicle inspectors with automated elements of the test.

Testers are being assigned to the test centres with the most significant delays. The RSA and NCTS have set a target to return the average waiting list to 12 days, as per the service level agreement. That has been set out for May of this year. My Department will continue to monitor progress towards that goal in the coming months and I am confident that we will soon see the positive impacts of the recruitment that has been done and the changes that have been made. It is unacceptable when a contract-----

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