Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tá fadhb ann. Tá tiománaithe óga ag fanacht ró-fhada lena gcuid tástálacha a dhéanamh agus níl sé sin ceart.

Last week, the temporary driving test centre in Marian Park closed, leaving 2,717 customers who have applied for a driving test in Drogheda having to transfer their application to an alternative centre, such as Navan or Dundalk. Bear in mind that, at the end of December, the estimated waiting time for Drogheda was 38 weeks; in Navan, 32 weeks; and in Dundalk, 27 weeks. The centre in Marian Park was a temporary solution for the past two years to deliver driving tests in Drogheda. The Road Safety Authority, RSA, knew the lease was expiring and was aware of the opposition of the residents of Marian Park to an extension. The authority failed to find a permanent site, and local learners will be the ones affected as they are left in limbo waiting on a test.

This will cause financial hardship to young people. With no experience driving in a different town or county, they will have to pay for additional lessons and the cost of fuel, as well as incurring high insurance costs as a provisional driver. Not only that, the emissions this extra travel will produce are an environmental disaster.

I understand the RSA has said applicants will not lose their place in the queue and instead will slot into the queue relative to other candidates who have already applied to the new centre. However, with backlogs and long waiting times in all named test centres, working conditions and staff retention issues are another worry.

I understand there are currently only four testers in Navan for a population of 223,000. These testers work on a contract basis. Once a tester has been in the position for four years, they have to be made permanent, but I know of testers who were let go before they made the four-year mark.

We need to look at the council-owned site in Mell, which has previously been proposed and assessed by the RSA and Louth County Council. This break in continuity of test service in Drogheda is not good enough. I strongly believe this site fits the bill for test service delivery. We need to seriously invest funding into the chaos surrounding testing throughout Ireland.

My constituents in Louth and east Meath deserve better. They deserve timely tests, whether they be driving tests or NCT tests, so that they are road safe and their lives are not impacted. People on provisional licences cannot drive alone. What if they need to drive to work? A constituent came to my office last week who is in a very serious position in respect of this issue. Being able to drive opens up employment and social benefits.

I understand there are several factors causing huge delays, but everything must be done to reduce these long waiting times for learners. We must invest in a new testing centre, as well as in the sector overall, to reduce wait times so constituents do not incur additional costs or disadvantages because of testing delays.

The RSA announced in December 2022 that it had found a suitable site, and the responsibility for the opening of the new centre rests with its facilities management team. What happened? Will the Taoiseach please clarify the current situation regarding finding a new site for the Drogheda test centre? As I said, 2,717 people are on the waiting list, which is unfair and unacceptable. I ask the Ministers for Finance and Transport to please invest in enhancing these services. It is a requirement for road safety, and for some, it is a requirement for their livelihood.

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