Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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50. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention or that of his officials has been drawn to or have entered into correspondence with the RSA to notify his Department that 32 contracted driver testers employed by the RSA are due to see their contracts terminated between December 2021 through to April 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56267/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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In order to deal with the backlog in driving tests created by Covid, the Road Safety Authority (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 have been conducting tests since July 2021. Sanction has also been granted to recruit a further 40 testers.

Procedures require approval from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for hiring of staff , and we have responded to the needs of the RSA by giving the approvals mentioned. However, the RSA is the employer of driver testers and contractual terms are a matter for the RSA.

I am aware that the 36 temporary testers rehired in 2020 are on contracts which are due to expire in December, March, and May. I am happy to say that my Department has approved a further extension of contracts for those due to expire in December and March. The RSA will conduct a review next year to see how the service is performing and to reassess its needs in light of evolving demand.