Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2021
205. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the use of fixed-term contracts for driving testers at the RSA (details supplied); and his views on the use of contracts of indefinite duration in certain circumstances at the RSA. [56119/21]
View answerWhile procedures require approval for hiring of staff from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is the employer of driver testers and contractual terms are a matter for the RSA.
As a result of the pandemic, and in response to growing backlogs, permission was given to the RSA in 2020 to rehire/retain 36 temporary driver testers whose contracts were due to expire. Subsequent approval was given to hire a further 40 temporary testers, who have now been recruited and are trained and working. A further tranche of 40 has also been approved.
I am happy to say that approval has also been given to extend the contracts of 17 drivers (out of the 36 already mentioned) whose contracts are due to expire in December and March. The remainder of those 36 are on contracts due to expire in May of next year.
As the situation regarding the impact of Covid on the driver testing service is fluid and evolving, the RSA will conduct a critical review of the service in Quarter 1 2022 to examine in detail the developing resources needs of the service.
