Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The delay we are seeing at our driving test centres is as much tied up with the housing crisis as other things. Unfortunately, Galway is an excellent example of this. I have pointed out countless times in this Chamber that there are no affordable rental properties for those accessing the housing assistance payment in Galway, which means that people whose lives are based in the city are forced to move farther out in the county to find a place to live. In many cases, this means they need access to a car. I know of people who have been waiting over six months for a driving test in Galway. One woman I was dealing with, on having received a notice of termination from her landlord, spent months looking for somewhere to rent in a location with public transport links. She was doing driving lessons at the same time and when it came to booking her test, she was told it would be in 28 weeks. Now she is homeless and living in a room with her son in her parents' house. Another woman who is waiting on a driving test in Galway needs her licence so she can bring a family member to the hospital in Galway to attend cancer treatment, which can be physically and emotionally gruelling. The driving test date has been pushed back twice so far, meaning the woman has been waiting 30 weeks to take the test.

It is clear we need to make sure the Government gets driving test waiting times under control.

Tá an cheist chéanna ann faoin tuath agus i gConamara. Is minic a mbíonn daoine ag braith ar a gcarr mar gheall nach bhfuil busanna sách minic ann nó pé rud é, agus ní bhíonn siad in ann dul isteach sa chathair chun obair a dhéanamh nó fiú dul ar an gcoláiste nó rudaí cosúil le sin. Fáiltím roimh an nuacht is deireanaí a chuala muid ar maidin ó Citylink go mbeidh níos mó busanna ar fáil ón gClochán go Gaillimh. Is rud maith é sin. Tá na busanna sin ag teastáil go géar mar tá sé soiléir ón méid daoine a bhíonn i dteagmháil liomsa ag rá liom nach bhfuil siad in ann taisteal. Níl carr acu nó pé rud é. Bíonn siad ag braith ar bus agus ní bhíonn siad in ann taisteal chuig an gcathair in am. Ansin tá na daoine atá ag iarraidh bheith in ann tiomáint chuig an gcathair ag fanacht ar liostaí feithimh agus níl siad in ann an scrúdú tiomána a dhéanamh. Is léir go gcaithfimid dul i ngleic leis an gceist seo freisin. Tá baint aige leis an ngéarchéim tithíochta chomh maith.

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