Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Transport if attempts to retrain staff from the Department of Agriculture and Food to deal with the driving test backlog are in disarray; and the new proposals he plans to introduce to deal with the waiting test delay. [4271/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 3311/06, which I answered in the House on Wednesday, 1 February 2006. As I have indicated to this House previously, the delay in providing driving tests is a matter of regret to me. It not only represents a poor service to the public but it is also hampering the development of initiatives I wish to pursue and which will contribute further to road safety.

The driving test and those who deliver it constitute a key element in the road safety strategy. It is my objective to eliminate the backlog of driving tests by mid-2007 and my Department has developed a package of measures in consultation with staff interests to achieve this.

I am pleased to acknowledge that a high number of existing driver testers have indicated that they will participate in a bonus scheme, which will make a significant contribution to the reduction of the backlog over the coming 18 months. Furthermore, in a unique cross-departmental and cross-union agreement, a further eight civil servants from the Department of Agriculture and Food have successfully passed interviews and tests. They will shortly be trained as driver testers and will start working in April to reduce the backlog. Later in the year, they will be augmented by another ten new recruits on two-year contracts. This increased volume of testing is putting administrative staff in Ballina under considerable pressure and I want publicly to recognise the contribution they are making to resolve a difficult situation. They are often the first point of contact between the public and the Department in difficult times and they have responded admirably.

However, despite all these efforts I am convinced that more needs to be done in the short term and that the temporary use of outsourcing must be an option to which I have recourse. Outsourcing not only provides access to additional staff resources but also to training options and to infrastructure and facilities that are needed to overcome the problems we face in the coming months. Sustaining Progress provides that option but there is union disagreement on this. I accept that this disagreement reflects a genuinely held difference of opinion on the meaning of clauses in Sustaining Progress.

Departmental and union officials have worked hard together to reach solutions and, although good progress has been made, I do not think it is sufficient to overcome the overriding need to eliminate the backlog as quickly as possible and to allow those same staff to concentrate on developing and implementing a road safety regime and services which are part of this Government's programme.

Therefore, I intend to progress the outsourcing option. I understand that this decision is likely to be tested under the arbitration provisions of Sustaining Progress. If so, that will give both sides a binding decision. Meanwhile, I have mandated my Department to progress outsourcing. I strongly believe that this is a prudent decision which it is necessary to take in the interests of road safety and to avoid any unnecessary subsequent delays in eliminating the backlog.

I want to be unequivocally clear to the staff in the Department that I appreciate the level of service and commitment they have given and continue to give to the delivery of a driver testing service. They will continue to be the backbone of the service in future. While I believe that outsourcing is needed now in exceptional circumstances to augment their work, I can give them an assurance that it is a temporary measure and not intended to replace their work. I can also assure them that if outsourcing points to deficiencies in the infrastructure or systems which are available in the public service, I intend to continue to secure and provide the resources needed to improve the public service infrastructure. In tandem with eliminating the backlog, I am determined to support a better public service delivery of the driving test to the benefit of both customers and staff. Along with eliminating the backlog I intend to deliver a service in which existing staff will be proud to work.