Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)

Is í seo an chéad uair dom labhairt leis an Aire Stáit. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis agus guím ádh mór air sa phost nua. The wait time for a driving test in north Kildare is far too long. It has been this way for a long period. As of last month, people in my constituency are waiting an average of 28 weeks for a test in Naas. It was 24 weeks last April and a staggering 31 weeks in April the year before. In a reply to a parliamentary question on waiting times last September, I was informed by the Department of Transport that it was doing all it could to alleviate waiting times by sanctioning the employment of an additional 70 driving testers. Yes, the backlog has ballooned by more than 10,000 since the start of this year. In February, Sinn Féin brought forward a Private Members' motion on this matter and highlighted lots of different ways the Government could tackle it. Tá faic déanta ag an Rialtas faoi. Now, people are waiting a long time just to get a test, ag fanacht agus ag fanacht. We have to reduce emissions by encouraging people to leave the car at home, but with the shambles that is our public transport service in north Kildare, the Government has left people with no option. Every day I hear about train availability during peak commuting hours and how the fair fares have badly affected people in Sallins and Kilcock in particular. This is an issue that has to be looked at again. We cannot increase fares for people.

This morning, I heard on KFM about the 821 bus from Newbridge to Sallins and the impact on constituents in Caragh. Small buses instead of large ones have been put on the route and people are being left at the bus stop in Caragh as a result. Those who cannot rely on public transport are forced to wait 28 weeks for driving tests in Naas. Last week, a constituent who applied for a test six months ago told me that she will be waiting until the end of June for a test. That really is appalling. What is happening is having a particular impact on our young people in the context of their independence and their ability to get to work. I wish the Minister of State the best of luck in making sure we get this matter sorted.

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