Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)

I thank the Minister of State for his statement. I can imagine how difficult it is to sit here and listen to every single Deputy talk about the challenges in his or her area, but I am going to have to add my own to the list. Being unable to get a test affects people in so many different ways. It is not just about their independence. It is about being able to reach whole swathes of the country that are only accessible by car. Many constituents have contacted me about how their inability to get a test is stopping them from availing of job and educational opportunities. Those with caring responsibilities have it even worse. It is hugely frustrating and out of their control. It simply represents a public service that is not given the resources it needs.

I will give the Minister of State a sample of some of the most recent emails I have received. One woman has been waiting for a test for more than 39 weeks. An individual has been told to wait eight months for a test. A student who needs to sit the test to drive to college has a nine-month wait ahead. A young man desperately needs a full licence because his job requires it but has been given a wait time of months before he can sit the test.

Although this is a perennial problem that arises again and again, the solutions do not have to be that complex. We must create and fill new posts. We must ensure that the terms and conditions are adequate. As my colleagues have pointed out, it is not fair that we would ask too much of one person in one centre and be dependent on him or her. We need to plan so we do not reach these crisis points again and do not have to reiterate the frustrations of all our constituents, who are contacting us about these issues.

We can speed up these processing times without compromising standards, which is crucial, but it requires investment in overall capacity.

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