Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is great to be back in the Chamber. I acknowledge the good news we heard from Senators Moynihan and Ward and offer my congratulations. I wish to raise the current guidelines relating to Covid. We have had an amazing vaccination programme. So much good work has been done in the past six months in particular but we need to get our institutions back on an even keel when it comes to delivering services to the general public. The issue I am raising is with regard to the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and driver licences. There is a huge backlog at present, in particular with theory tests. The biggest issue my office has come across, over the past week in particular, is with regard to dyslexic people who want to sit a theory test. Traditionally they have had a reader provided but this has been taken away. This limits the ability of these boys, girls and people to get through the process. This is a huge issue for a certain cohort of society as 10% of people are dyslexic. Normally they have a reader to work through the theory test with them but this has been taken away. We need to make sure the institutions of the State and semi-State bodies look at such protocols and have the ability to change them rapidly. It is unfair and discriminatory. It is not appropriate. Because of it, people are being denied the opportunity to sit a driving test. In my part of the world if people cannot pass a driving test, they do not have the ability to go anywhere or do anything.

This is a major issue for us as a society. I call on the Leader to contact the RSA regarding this issue to ensure it provides readers. I spoke to the RSA this afternoon and the service is not available today. This is a major setback for a certain cohort of society who want to be able to sit a theory test.