We are over time. I thank the Tánaiste. We are moving on to the Regional Group. Deputy Berry is not indicating. We are going to waste the opportunity. We move to the Rural Independent Group and an Teachta McGrath.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. There are no driving test taking place at Clonmel's driver testing centre this week. Last year, in a blaze of glory, the Government said it was going to appoint 75 new testers across the country. That never happened. The opposite happened at the Clonmel centre, where one excellent tester was let go. The only tester left in Clonmel is on annual leave this week, so not one test, not ceann amháin, will be carried at the Clonmel driver testing centre. This beggars belief. The RSA is out there passing rules and coming up with new changes every day of the week, but will not recruit and retain an adequate number of testers. People who want to go to work, go to college or do anything need to get on the road because, as the Tánaiste knows, we have no or very little public transport in rural areas. The RSA is allowed do this. It has contracts with the Government and should be made honour them and not be telling us it has recruited 75 when half that number was not recruited and then, as I said, seven were let go, including one in Clonmel. It beggars belief the RSA can do this when we have people waiting six months for tests. All of south Tipperary and west Waterford come into the Clonmel centre.

I thank the Deputy.

We have good testers there and now they are being neglected.

The Department of Transport did respond swiftly. The Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, has been very active on this.

Give the figures.

Some 75 additional driver tester posts were sanctioned in March of last year.

Were they recruited?

That is only 12 months ago. That is in addition to the 30 permanent testers who were previously sanctioned in July 2022. The total sanctioned driver tester posts now is 205. Obviously, it takes time to recruit people and so on, but that 205 figure is now double the 100 sanctioned driver tester posts-----

Why are the lists so long then?

-----in June 2022. The Deputy should at least acknowledge that.

Why are the lists so long?

The person in Clonmel who is on annual leave is entitled-----

Of course.

-----to take annual leave and I hope the Deputy accepts that.

Of course I do.

There is a significant reduction in the national average waiting time, from a high of 30.4 weeks in August last to 16.9 weeks at the end of February. That is a big improvement. It is still too high-----

It is 28 weeks in Clonmel.

-----but we are working on that. It is because of the extra capacity in the system. Some 41 additional testers have joined since September of last year.