Last but not least, I call Deputy Higgins.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I raise with the Taoiseach the serious backlog in national car test, NCT, appointments. The Covid-19 lockdown obviously had a part to play in creating the backlogs, but these do not seem to have been caught up with. The fastest appointment it is possible to secure at my local testing centre in Fonthill is in March 2023, some six months away. People are contacting me because they are concerned about being stopped by members of An Garda Síochána with an out-of-date NCT certificate on their vehicle, even though they have an appointment booked for the nearest available date. In fact, one of my constituents was stopped by members of An Garda Síochána and was issued with penalty points for having an out-of-date NCT certificate, despite having an appointment booked. Given the circumstances and the backlog, this seems unreasonable and unfair. At the height of the pandemic, we extended the validity of NCT certificates and it is clear we need to do something now to support people in this situation. What can we do to assist the Road Safety Authority, RSA, in providing a timely and efficient NCT service?

I take the Deputy's points and I will talk to the Minister regarding this issue. A priority waitlist for test appointments has been established to allow vehicle owners to avail of any test cancellations. The average waiting period for a test appointment is now just under 24 days. The Deputy referred to an appointment in March, so I will need to follow up on this. The average waiting time now compares with 12 days pre-Covid-19. The pandemic was responsible for much of this situation, as the Deputy is aware. I will, however, come back to her concerning the overall point. The RSA has statutory responsibility in this area. I am told the average waiting time for an appointment is 24 days, but I will check this in the context of the case highlighted by the Deputy and perhaps someone in the RSA might be able to shed light on this issue.