I raise the issue of the increasingly long waiting list for driving tests. Everybody knows the impact Covid-19 is having on the service in this regard. However, the delay in getting tests is having a severe impact in rural areas where public transport is not readily available. At present, 93,791 people are awaiting driver tests. Some 954 of these are in Wexford alone. I am being contacted on an almost daily basis by essential workers, such as nurses, shop assistants and lorry drivers, who are finding it almost impossible to get to work because of this delay. I ask the Tánaiste to use his offices to urgently consult with instructors, testers and their unions to find a way to accelerate the number of tests that can be carried out safely in coming months.

I appreciate that this is a real problem. Before the pandemic, we reached the point where the numbers on waiting list for tests were quite low but they are now quite high again. We need to bear in mind that we need to protect the health and safety of driving instructors and testers - I know the Deputy will also want to do that - and this means that there are fewer slots than there used to be. The Road Safety Authority has put in place a system whereby people who need a driving test because they are required to drive to work or to college can be prioritised and put on a cancellation list. That is working quite well, but not everyone is aware of it. If the Deputy comes across a constituent who needs that test because they have to get to work or college, they should avail of that possibility to be prioritised.