Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

The driving test situation is appalling. There are 81,000 people on a waiting list. Many of them are in my county of Tipperary. There is only one tester in the town of Clonmel, which is a large town with a huge hinterland. This is causing enormous strain for families who now have to accompany drivers with L plates. Those drivers cannot get apprenticeships. I know many young people who have got jobs but must have a licence. There is one tester. We were told last year that 75 new testers were being appointed. I want to know where they are. I want more appointed in rural areas because we do not have the DART, Luas or other forms of public transport. People are hindered. The RSA has made a pure hames of this. It should be taken out of the hands of the RSA, which should just look after road safety and not driver testing or the issuing of licences. It is in it for the money, I think. It is miserable to have one tester in a town the size of Clonmel. People are doing their lessons, paying that expense and doing their best to get on the road to get to work, college and everything else, but there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

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