Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

226. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the practice within the Road Safety Authority of not renewing contracts for staff who have almost reached three years' service and replacing them with new staff thereby incurring additional training costs and loss of staff experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54664/21]

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

227. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if driver testers employed by the Road Safety Authority are being classified as self-employed contractors; the percentage of the Authority’s driver tester workforce who are classified as such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54665/21]

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

228. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if contracts for new driver testers for the Road Safety Authority will have to go through a public procurement procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54666/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 to 228, inclusive, together.

In order to deal with the backlog in driving tests created by Covid, the RSA received approval in 2020 to rehire 36 temporary testers. In addition, the RSA received sanction to hire 40 additional testers on a temporary basis to assist with the backlogs. These new testers have completed their training and are now conducting live tests since July 2021. Sanction has also been granted to recruit a further 40 testers.

Procedures require approval for hiring of staff from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and we have responded to the needs of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) by giving the approvals mentioned. However, the RSA is the employer of driver testers, not the Department and the contractual terms are a matter for the RSA.