Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of driver test waiting times. I got figures recently in response to a parliamentary question and there is a waiting time of 24 weeks in the Birr test centre, 25 weeks in Portlaoise and 43 weeks in Kilkenny city. This is according to the figures I got. It is a scandalous delay. I have taken up this matter before with the Minister. It is particularly affecting young drivers in rural areas who are trying to get to work where there is no bus service early in the morning or no Local Link. The Road Safety Authority, RSA, did have a recruitment campaign last summer for 75 testers but it only got 36 testers. That is fair enough. Meanwhile, nine testers on contract are being let go on 8 February. One of those is in the Portlaoise centre. The RSA has a service level agreement with the Department, as I understand it, that the average time is supposed to be ten weeks.

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