Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Question 28: To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the date on which the tender for the National Car Testing Service is due for review; if he is satisfied himself with the level of the service the current company provides; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18863/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Following a competitive tender, the contract for the provision of the national car test service, NCTS, was awarded by the Road Safety Authority to Applus for a ten–year period from 2010 to 2019 and it assumed responsibility for the provision of a national car testing service on 4 January 2010. The contract requires the company to meet a number of specific performance standards in a wide range of operational areas, including customer waiting times, customer satisfaction and test integrity. It sets out the penalties that can be imposed in the event that the contractor fails to meet the performance requirements set out. The RSA monitors the performance of the NCT service continuously and has regular meetings with the service provider to ensure compliance with contract requirements.

The question of performance is a matter for the RSA and I will convey the Deputy's question to the agency for a direct reply. I ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response is not received within ten days.

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The nation was shocked by RTE's exposé on "Prime Time Investigates" of the carry-on of some employees in a NCT centre located in my constituency. I acknowledge some elements of this matter may be sub judice. This essential service contributes enormously to road safety and standards of vehicle inspection in Ireland. On occasion, one hears about the difficulties experienced by some customers in obtaining prompt appointments and I was pleased to hear the Minister address that issue, together with waiting times and penalties. As the monitoring of performance is equally important, does the service contract contain a get-out clause if, for example, the NCT service provider is not performing or is found wanting?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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While I must double-check the position on the Deputy's last question, it is standard practice in most public service contracts of this nature to have such a break clause in the case of failure by a party to uphold its side of the contract. In respect of the first year of the contract, the performance of the company was assessed over the course of the year. This has changed and from this year onwards, performance will be assessed on a quarterly basis. In so doing, the Road Safety Authority will be assisted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and AA Ireland. In 2010 the overall satisfaction rating was at 84%, which constituted a slight fall on the 88% figure recorded in the previous year. However, the number of complaints is very low - fewer than 0.1% complained about their test. Moreover, of the 21 appeals lodged, 17 were rejected, while only four were upheld.

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I take a great deal of assurance from the Minister's comments and look forward to discussing the issue of a possible get-out clause with him again should this prove necessary.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Have sanctions been imposed on Applus as a result of the revelations on the recent "Prime Time Investigates" programmes about irregularities in the industry? Has the Minister made representations about people being informed about tests? Test dates appear to pass people by and they are not notified that their test date is approaching. This happens constantly and constituents complain to me all the time that they were not informed that their test dates were approaching in the manner that used to happen years ago when others handled the NCT service. The Minister should consider this matter.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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One point I should have mentioned in my previous reply to Deputy Keating is that performance was measured at 92% which was ahead of the target of 90%.

The issue of people receiving notice of renewal has come up several times and was mentioned in committee recently. Consequently, I have undertaken to make contact with the Road Safety Authority and the company to ascertain whether a system of notification of renewal can be introduced similar to that in place, for example, for driving licences.

As for sanctions, in some cases staff have been dismissed or suspended in respect of what was revealed on "Prime Time Investigates". I am confident that Applus has acted in these cases. The only sanctions that can be applied to the company arise when it fails to meet performance standards in respect of waiting times for test appointments, as well as at the different test centres. If that occurs, a performance-related financial adjustment is made to their payment. In 2010, a downward adjustment was made to their contract for their failure to meet some of the required targets