Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae has defended making representations on behalf of constituents regarding delays to their driving tests.
Information released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act shows the Kerry TD wrote to the RSA on behalf of a man who’d applied to sit a bus driver test after he had been told he could be waiting up to 16 weeks.
Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the RSA if there is any way he could be called sooner.
The Independent TD says it’s his job to make representations for constituents.
He says it's not a waste of a Minister's time, and denied it was a request more appropriate for a councillor to make:
Meanwhile, Michael Healy-Rae is also warning that a planned crackdown on short-term letting could cause “irreparable damage” to rural Ireland.
The Minister of State says the proposals are scapegoating short-term lets and won’t solve the housing crisis.
The remarks were made in an email to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, and were released under the Freedom of Information Act to The Irish Times.
The plans include a new national register and tighter planning rules for properties listed on platforms like Airbnb from the middle of this year.
Minister of State Michae Healy-Rae says the policy risks driving tourism out of areas that rely on it:
