Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Rural Independent Group for tabling the motion today. Like many other Deputies, I have been contacted by many people who say the situation facing people awaiting driving tests has gone so far that it is now holding them back from planning their lives. I will focus on the impact it is having on people in rural Ireland, who do not have the luxury of regular bus or train services to rely on while they wait as long as six months for an appointment for a driving test. One young man who contacted me recently has been told the waiting time for his test is 25 weeks, which is more than six months. That is typical in Tipperary where, according to my checks today, 25 March 2024 is the next available testing date. He needs to drive so he can accept a job he has been offered on the basis he has a full licence, but this is being denied to him by the outrageous length of time he and so many others have to wait. His situation is, unfortunately, not unique and this is the reason this matter is being highlighted today.

We hear a lot from Government benches about rural development and the importance of keeping rural Ireland populated and thriving, but in rural Ireland most of us have to rely on private transport because public transport is hit and miss. Unlike for many in urban areas, our choices are limited. We are at a disadvantage, especially our young people like this young man who are trying to get their working lives under way. Poor workforce planning by the Government and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, is obstructing many young people. Allowing the driving test backlog to reach an extent where more than 71,000 learner drivers are waiting to receive an invitation to book a test is a clear example of this.

While the pandemic was always going to create a backlog, that backlog has been cleared. We are now facing a workforce shortage due to retirements and the need for specialised testers. This situation was predictable and should have been dealt with in good time, especially as the RSA has a target of a ten week wait by the end of the year. If it is committed to that target, it clearly did not act to prove so or to reach the target. That timeframe is not achievable anywhere in my county of Tipperary. The earliest people can get a driving test right now is 29 January 2024. That is simply unacceptable.

These backlogs also contribute to a lack of school buses in various areas. I am sick of Ministers distancing themselves in this House from responsibility for matters that are clearly in their remit. The Minister has a responsibility to expedite the recruitment of additional examiners, while the RSA has a responsibility to effectively operate its patch. If it makes a commitment, it needs to stand over it.

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