Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

Like many who told the stories around the House, I too have constituents come to me continually telling me they cannot get driving tests. Others tell me they drive their sons or daughters to university, which not only inconveniences their lives, but affects them financially, in the sense of how they get to work and plan their day. In addition, an issue that must be mentioned in this debate, which I do not think anyone has mentioned, is that in the past year, 6,016 people did not show up for their driving tests. There is something radically wrong with that as well. That has to be penalised and addressed. In Spain, it takes 12 weeks to get a driving test; in Wales, it takes 13 weeks; in France it takes an average of 12 weeks. However, here we are now being told of averages of up to 30 weeks across Dublin.

The Minister of State is familiar with Cork in the same way as I am. We see that the public transport has failed. Approximately 60% of my constituency, Cork North Central, is rural, with little or no bus or other services available. In the cities where buses are running, they do not run on time. We are lucky if they show up at all.

We are talking about infrastructure, roads and road safety. Many Members have mentioned road safety, but we are not developing the infrastructure around road safety. Where is the Mallow distributor road? Where is the northern ring road? Where is the northern distributor road? Where is the Cork to Limerick motorway? They have not been delivered. Driver safety has been discussed. Members have mentioned the number of young people in accidents. If the Government does not build the proper infrastructure for the population - the Government uses the excuse of population over and over again - it is not addressing the population problems that need to be addressed. The Minister of State is aware of that.

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