Results 2,581-2,600 of 6,530 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I think it was considerably even shorter than that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That works until the point that everybody uses it. I will be honest and I said previously that there was an element of confusion. I started looking when I got the letter from the RSA. I put in whatever dates but they were mad dates so I was not going to put myself on the priority list. As I said, I was not sure what the set-up was. I ended up ringing to make sure of the advice because it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Applus was able to deliver within the timeline it promised.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: How long would some of those people have waited on that priority list?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It happened at a particular time of year that it made more sense. Even at that, I still ended up with two meetings at the same time. Luckily enough, my wife was willing to facilitate. I will not say happily but she was willing to facilitate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I think that will be the case across the board. If the RSA is doing this, it probably should consider the virtual driving academy in Dundalk, which seems to have considerable footfall and momentum and has had a significant amount of coverage in the public domain. This type of set-up is being operated in France and other places. Everyone is in agreement that anything that works from a road...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: What was the name of the campaign relating to perception?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We should do a piece of work on this. We were speaking about dealing with virtual driving. In this context it would be worthwhile. It would be interesting to see where we go with delivering on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I appreciate that and I will definitely take Mr. Waide up on it. He could be sorry about it afterwards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We have capacity versus demand and we are talking about the end of the second quarter with regard to the NCT and 610-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: An extra 30 should-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The big disaster is that it will take until the middle of 2024 to deliver driving tests. In a perfect world the RSA would have 170 permanent staff. Is this on top of-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: This has been coming down the road - no pun intended - for a long time. What would the RSA's ask have been, and how early would it have been, to the Department and Government? Why at this point in time if 170 permanent staff are needed is it looking for a smaller number of non-permanent staff?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Why did the RSA opt for temporary workers at that stage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I get that and I understand why some of it is. I imagine there is also an element, and I am not putting it on the witnesses, that a plan could have been based on future projections on the basis of changed demographics.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The RSA was dealing with old CSO figures at that stage. On what basis did the RSA make projections?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The RSA is not quite sure it needs 170 permanent testers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Why is the request not for 170 testers?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: There is an element of taking what it can get at this time but on the whole, the RSA's request is for 170 testers. In a perfect world, if the RSA could deliver what it needs and what we all need it would be 170 testers.