Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree that people should be able to get their driving tests in a timely manner. People in rural areas in particular need their cars to get to work, get to college and go about their business. This is a really big problem. I would be reluctant to make any commitment on waiving the requirement to have an accompanying driver. That is a road safety issue, and I would be reluctant to make any changes there, but we are investing in the service and hiring more driver testers. Like the work permit delays and the passport delays we faced six months ago, we will get on top of this.

See this speech in context