Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

There is an urgent need to reduce delays for driving tests in the Cavan test centre. As of today, there is a 15-week delay in getting a test date there, according to the average estimated time on the RSA website. An invitation to attend a test is currently being offered for the week commencing 14 October. I understand that it is generally four weeks later before the test is undertaken, as tests are generally scheduled one month in advance. An applicant who applies in Cavan today will wait until the end of November for a test. This is not acceptable. I again appeal for additional personnel to be allocated to this centre.

I welcome the increased number of testers the Minister, Deputy Chambers, put in place but we need more in order to reduce waiting times and give learner drivers a chance of literally getting on the road. Delays in driving tests put a limit on a person's work, education and routine daily activities. The Department must put in place the necessary resources to deal with the issue, which impacts severely on people, particularly young people in rural areas such as Cavan.

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