Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

I am glad to get the opportunity to ask about the problem we have in Kerry with the delay in youngsters getting their driving tests. This is an important issue. Boys and girls have to wait for up to six months to get their driving test, which is far too long for a young learner driver to have to wait, particularly in rural areas of Kerry where there is no public transport option and driving is the only option. Many young people cannot take up job offers, apprenticeships or college courses, as they would have to have a parent, brother, sister or grandparent with them going to and from wherever they needed to go, even with their L-plates displayed. This is not practical because everyone in today's Ireland is busy doing his or her own job and time is precious.

On top of that, doing the test is a costly process. A learner driver must first pass a theory test and do a minimum of 12 lessons before applying for a test. The delay in getting a driving test means learners are paying higher insurance costs for longer.

The other issue in Kerry is that there are only two driving test centres, those being, in Killarney and Tralee. Kerry is badly in need of another test centre in the south in Cahersiveen. It is 50 miles away from Killarney and even longer away from Tralee. In response to my recent parliamentary question, I was advised that the RSA was increasing testing capacity and the Department of Transport last September sanctioned an additional 70 permanent posts for driver testers. Holy God, but where are the 70 testers? It is worse the situation is getting, day by day. I raised this matter at exactly this time last year, when we were told at the Oireachtas committee that 30 new testers were being appointed. I do not know who the man from the RSA was, but he said that most of them were being centred around Dublin. Dublin has all kinds of public transport, which we do not have in rural parts of Kerry. Will the Minister of State do something about this? It will get worse during the summer months because the testers go on holidays like everyone else. The six months will become eight months. That happened last year as well. Something realistic has to be done. I will give examples of young fellows and girls who want to go to work or do apprenticeships. Many cannot go to college.

Another issue is the system is being clogged up with people who leave a place like Barraduff in Kerry and go over to the USA for a number of years - it is not for ten years or anything like it - and when they come back, they must do the whole driving test over again if their licences expired while they were away. I met a man who came home to Scartaglin and thought he could exchange the licences he held. He held many licences to drive anything - buses, diggers, bulldozers and everything else - but he cannot get his licences changed. He is about 59 or 60 years of age and he is going to Australia because his licences are accepted there. Likewise, Australian licences are recognised in Ireland. However, American licences are not recognised. That is ridiculous. It is clogging up the system.

See this speech in context