Results 1,801-1,820 of 10,460 for speaker:Gerry Horkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: They told us. We actually went as a committee. Some of us went out and visited Go-Ahead Ireland, but we have also been in touch with them. We had the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland, CTTC, Bus Éireann and so on before the committee. They are saying that is taking up to five weeks, or that is generally five weeks, from the time of sitting the test and passing it to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: If I am right, once you have passed you test, there is nothing that can stop you getting the CPC other than whatever bureaucracy is slowing it down. Why cannot it be issued almost the following day?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: That certainly seems to be a source of great frustration to them, and it was reflected to us that they were really having a problem with this. They were more or less telling us that the average – it was not that it was an exceptional case – was generally taking five weeks. Mr. Walsh might come back to us on how long it is taking and if most people are getting it within a week,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: I am conscious of time and the fact there are a lot of people here. In terms of the driver licences generally, what future planning is the RSA putting in place? They are kind of saying that it was a big surprise that there has been an enormous increase of 65%, I think, in the 17- to 24-year-old category and a 54% increase. Are the witnesses looking at national statistics? Are they looking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: I just want to point out that the RSA is currently doing 4,000 tests per week, but the number of people who are eligible and waiting for an invitation to book is almost 72,000. That is a backlog of approximately 18 full weeks. If nobody applied, it would take 18 weeks to clear the backlog, leaving aside people applying and so on. I therefore think it needs to be looked at. I will touch...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: How do I do that on the website? I have the screen in front of me here and it does not give me the option to do that. I can reschedule the booking if I can find one, but it does not-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: Yes, and I still cannot find it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: That may be at the initial booking, but what about rescheduling a booking?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: The website does not make that clear at all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: I think that would be useful. Obviously, every time someone makes a phone call, it is going to put more work on the NCT. Nobody has mentioned this yet, but the NCT has been fined €3 million. I do not know if the accounts have been published, but what does Applus generally make in a year in Ireland on the NCT service?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: Okay, so the NCT made a €1 million loss last year, and unless something goes better this year, they could be making a €4 million loss this year, when taking the fine on board.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: Exactly. It is in the NCT’s interests to make things more efficient, and I would have thought that if the website were easier to use, the NCT would not need to have as many people in call centres waiting for people like me to ring them to readjust tests or whatever.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: Is it by the end of this year that the witnesses believe the service will be back to relative normalcy?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: I saw that. That is to be acknowledged and I do acknowledge it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: It was 12%. A figure of 3% came out last month. This was generally speaking. In fact, last month 12% paid in cash.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: People can apply online and book a test, but I had thought that if you went online it would almost force you to pay in advance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: People going online, which should be less costly for the NCT because they will not have to talk to people in call centres and so on, are being punished for paying in advance. There was a time when credit card details were taken and money was not taken until a customer turned up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: That does not happen any more.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Testing: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Gerry Horkan: That point was made at our last meeting. People going through the system cost the company more by ringing up and are getting away with not paying until the day of the test, whereas people who go online are being stuck.