Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Ross, is welcome back to his alma mater. Senator Craughwell has four minutes to outline his case. On a day when an EU Commissioner will visit the House, he might consider doing so in three minutes.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will endeavour to get through it as quickly as I can. I thank the Minister, Deputy Ross, for coming to the House this morning to take this Commencement matter. Many Ministers send a Minister of State in their stead, so I thank the Minister for his attendance.

Many driving tests for heavy good vehicles, HGVs, and buses scheduled to take place in the past two weeks at the Westside test centre in Galway have been cancelled. To put this in context, as the Minister may know, there is no dedicated reversing compound in the Westside test centre area of Galway. Until recently, those taking the HGV and bus tests were tested in a quiet area on a public road. Due to traffic management changes implemented by Galway council, that area is no longer available and an alternative reversing space has not been secured.

There are two issues here. The first is that the situation was ever allowed to arise. It beggars belief that an agency of the State would be dependent on the use of a public space for such a critical aspect of a driving test and that no investment, foresight or planning has been forthcoming to address this issue over the years. The driving test centre in question is sadly lacking in other respects, such as no parking being available for applicants and the public building having no toilet facilities.

The second and more serious issue is that a very significant number of those scheduled for testing this week and last are participants on an education and training board, ETB, training course for HGV drivers with Galway and Roscommon ETB. They are on the course because they were unemployed but were ready to take up job offers upon its completion. The offers were contingent on their passing the test but, as tests are now cancelled, they cannot now take them up. The Minister will agree that is a horrendous situation for those people and their families.

The situation is equally serious for companies which train HGV drivers. Who would sign up to an HGV course when it is likely there will be no test available in Galway at the end of it? Some of the driving instructor schools employ up to 14 people whose jobs are now on the line.

The Road Safety Authority has provided dedicated reversing compounds in Finglas, Sligo, Limerick and Waterford. In 2016, a similar problem arose in Athlone and within four weeks the Road Safety Authority secured a plot of land and created a new reversing compound. Earlier this week, I wrote to Moyagh Murdock, CEO of the Road Safety Authority, and, to her credit, last night I received a comprehensive reply. She is aware of the problems at the centre in terms of facilities and the testing of HGV and bus drivers and has been actively looking at a number of alternatives over the past two years which, for one reason or another, have proven unsuitable. The Road Safety Authority is currently looking at several locations and working with the Office of Public Works, OPW, to secure a new test centre.

What plans does the Minister have to immediately address the emergency situation in Galway such that drivers can be tested? What plans are in place to immediately provide a safe and appropriate reversing compound in Galway? I thank the Minister for his time and look forward to his reply.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue and congratulate him on his persistence in pursuing the subject, in particular through highlighting it to Moyagh Murdock, who is more responsible for it than I, although I am happy to convey to her later in the week the sentiments expressed by the Senator and to support the case he has made.

The provision of driving tests is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, RSA. I asked the RSA to provide information on this matter and the position it set out is as follows. All driving test centres across the country undertake car driving tests, with a smaller number also undertaking heavy goods vehicles, HGV, driving tests. HGV tests are scheduled in the larger test centres, including Galway city and are undertaken on a specified route covering a specified time and distance that becomes part of the driver tester’s schedule.

The HGV test requires certain features on a test route in order for the competence of the driver to be assessed. These features include roundabouts, junctions, traffic lights and locations for reversing manoeuvres. In the case of a HGV, given the size of the vehicles and the fact that they are being driven by learners, great care must be taken in creating test routes to ensure the safety of all road users. This is a particular concern for reversing manoeuvres, given the complexity of this exercise and the potential danger to others. This means that a HGV route will usually have very limited locations in which this reverse manoeuvre can be undertaken.

Over the past year, the RSA has encountered problems accessing locations for the HGV test in Galway due to the traffic volumes at these locations which have progressively made such manoeuvres unsafe. To the greatest extent possible, routes have been adapted to ensure all necessary elements of the test are being completed. However, in recent weeks the RSA had to curtail a number of tests because of the inability to acquire a safe location to undertake a reversing manoeuvre. The RSA has rescheduled these tests for a Saturday when traffic is not so heavy, although this does not provide a long-term solution to the problem, as the Senator pointed out, particularly in cases where job offers have been affected by the cancellations.

Over the past number of years, the RSA has unsuccessfully sought alternative locations to undertake HGV tests. The inability to secure an alternative location from which to conduct HGV tests generally relates to availability or suitability. However, the RSA is currently considering a number of locations as an immediate short-term measure so that it can continue to deliver HGV tests in Galway. The RSA continues to work with the Office of Public Works, OPW, which has responsibility for securing estate for the Road Safety Authority, on a longer term solution in Galway. I recognise the problem. The Senator has his finger on the button and I will relay his comments to the RSA and support the case he has made because this issue has immediate consequences for certain parties to whom he referred.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is a very positive response for the Senator.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that positive response. There are a number of locations the OPW could have a look at, including the industrial estate in Galway, the Údarás na Gaeltachta site and the old Tuam sugar factory. They are three sites off the top of my head that it may be possible to use. I thank the Minister for his time and for agreeing to support this.