Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. There are no driving test taking place at Clonmel's driver testing centre this week. Last year, in a blaze of glory, the Government said it was going to appoint 75 new testers across the country. That never happened. The opposite happened at the Clonmel centre, where one excellent tester was let go. The only tester left in Clonmel is on annual leave this week, so not one test, not ceann amháin, will be carried at the Clonmel driver testing centre. This beggars belief. The RSA is out there passing rules and coming up with new changes every day of the week, but will not recruit and retain an adequate number of testers. People who want to go to work, go to college or do anything need to get on the road because, as the Tánaiste knows, we have no or very little public transport in rural areas. The RSA is allowed do this. It has contracts with the Government and should be made honour them and not be telling us it has recruited 75 when half that number was not recruited and then, as I said, seven were let go, including one in Clonmel. It beggars belief the RSA can do this when we have people waiting six months for tests. All of south Tipperary and west Waterford come into the Clonmel centre.

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