Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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234. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will take steps to allow for the recruitment of additional driver testers particularly within County Offaly where there is currently only one tester available in Birr and one tester available in Tullamore; if he recognises that there is an urgent need for such testers given the inadequate levels of public transport in rural Ireland more generally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53394/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The operation of the national driving test service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my department gave sanction for the number of permanent driver testers employed by the RSA to be increased from 100 to 130. Recruitment is underway and the RSA expect to see new testers commence work before year end. At that point, I understand that the Authority will be in a position to assess the needs across the country to determine if and where any additional resources are required. My department will consider any such future requests.