James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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244. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if additional staff and testers will be hired in the Naas driver test centre in order to clear the backlog of driver test applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28907/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Specific details on individual test centres are an operational matter for the Road Safety Authority.

As the Deputy can appreciate Covid 19 has had a profound effect on the delivery the Driver Test service. I acknowledge that many people across all areas of society have been impacted by the increased demand since services resumed.

The Driver Test service has seen its weekly capacity reduced significantly in order to comply with occupational and public health requirements. As an example, due to the additional hygiene and sanitation procedures that are now absolutely necessary, each testing slot now takes a much longer time to complete. In addition to this, the number of testers working in any centre at the one time has to be reduced to ensure physical distance rules can be maintained.

Those who had appointments cancelled due to Covid 19 are being prioritised in the first instance. Initially, those who are frontline healthcare workers will be deemed eligible for an urgent test slot. This approach for prioritising customers will be kept under review as the RSA moves through the service resumption.

My Department is remaining in close contact with the RSA who are examining ways of increasing the number of tests within the current health constraints. One option is the employment of additional testers, something which has been done in the past to address backlogs. However, I would like to stress, many of the issues impacting on the delivery of service are concerned with the throughput of centres themselves in light of the restrictions, rather than on the availability of staff.

In the meantime, my Department has give approval to the RSA to retain 18 driver testers on temporary contracts due to expire in October and November, and to rehire up to 19 testers whose contracts expired in May.

While I regret the inconvenience caused by the necessity to adhere to the restrictions imposed on us by NPHET and other experts, the safety of the public, whether through contracting Covid or through deaths or injuries on our roads, must be of paramount importance.