A Kerry TD has hit out at the Government over the backlog for driving tests.
Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly, who is the party’s spokesperson for transport, is calling on the Government to implement measures to address this crisis.
He hit out at what he called the bad planning and mismanagement of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-led governments, which he says has created a system that was not fit for purpose.
Deputy Pa Daly says there are 72,000 learner drivers on waiting lists, adding that this figure has grown by 10,000 in the last three months alone.
He says the average waiting time to take a test is now well above the statutory maximum of 10 weeks, with many people waiting between six and eight months to take the test.
The Kerry Sinn Féin TD says this is totally unacceptable.
Deputy Daly says such delays cause great frustration, push up the costs of learning to drive and trap learner drivers in expensive insurance policies; he says it's costing over €3,000 for some people to learn to drive.
Deputy Pa Daly says the backlog also causes disruption to other vital services, as students or workers who rely on their licence are waiting in limbo.
He is calling for an urgent review of the system and says his party has developed a suite of measures to address these unacceptable delays.
