Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am approached on a regular basis, especially by young people who cannot get affordable accommodation near their place of study. There are no reliable public transport systems in place in many areas. These young people rely on driving and are looking for tests. Previously, the average waiting time was 30 weeks. It has come down in Cavan. It is down to probably 18 or 19 weeks now, which is very welcome. This is because there is an extra tester in place. However, we need Monaghan and other areas to be looked at. The question that arises is whether this is a permanent appointment in Cavan. Is it just to clear the backlog, which happened previously when there were backlogs to be cleared. After the backlogs were cleared, the number of testers was reduced. Recently, the number has increased again. We know that there has been a 28% increase in the number of people seeking tests.

Are there sufficient testers to cover unexpected absences, such as holiday leave, jury duty and all of that sort of thing? There are often cancellations at last-minute, within 24 hours, and there is no really fast way of looking for reimbursement. I know people who turned up for tests not knowing that they had been cancelled at very short notice. Also, driving instructors who give their cars to the young people involved to take the test are not being compensated for loss of earnings on the relevant day.

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