Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his first year as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. I wish to raise the issue of driver theory tests. The way they are being treated is disgraceful. People who are scheduled for tests go to the testing centre to find out it is closed. They have not been notified that their test has been rescheduled although they should be. I am calling on the Leader to contact the Minister for Transport and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, to ask for an amnesty regarding driver theory tests for young people in particular. The sons of farmers and agricultural contractors, those looking for new jobs, those who have new jobs and people going back to college will not be able to do what they normally do or what people before them did with regard to those activities because they will not be able to drive because they will not be able to do their driver theory test. We are told that departmental staff are working from home in many cases and that working from home is going well, so it beggars belief the Department cannot come up with a solution when it has had months to do it. There is no answer to this other than an amnesty regarding driver theory tests. I ask that, as a matter of urgency, the Leader contacts the Minister and the Taoiseach regarding this issue.