Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)

I recognise and feel the Deputy's frustration because I know and feel it myself in my own constituency. People contact me to say their test has been postponed up to five or six times. They are young people, healthcare workers, the whole shooting match. I assure the Deputy that I am treating this as an emergency. I met RSA representatives last week and asked them to come back to me next week with firm proposals on what will happen. I will work with them very closely to make sure there are improvements. We have to maintain the integrity of the driving test and make sure everybody is safe on the road. I hear the Deputy's suggestion of giving an amnesty, but under current regulations and rules, that may not be feasible. I assure the Deputy all options are being considered to help to address the backlog that exists. It is not right. The service is not right and it needs to be rectified.

I thank the Deputy for expressing the frustration in Kerry the way he has expressed it. It is felt throughout the country, sadly, and I will work to make sure we get this matter rectified in conjunction with the RSA. At the end of the day, we want to make sure we have a service that will deliver tests within ten weeks. It is very important and the money has been allocated for these new testers to be trained up. The issue is that they have to be trained and brought out to conduct the testing. I am looking at a variety of options to try to speed up that process in order that we have as many people as possible out testing and that in no place in the country will people be waiting for more than ten weeks for a test. That is my aim and ambition and I want to get that done as quickly as possible. I will work with the RSA to make sure we deliver that.

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