Fine Gael Senator criticises driving test backlog

A Fine Gael Senator has dismissed comments by the Minister for Transport that driving test backlogs will be eliminated as a result of funding in the budget estimates.

Donegal Senator Joe McHugh said Martin Cullen's hopes of reducing waiting lists to 8 weeks in 2007 is completely unrealistic.

At present in Dublin people are forced to wait up to 58 weeks to sit a test.

Senator McHugh insinuated Cullen’s comments were attributable to the closeness of the general election and called them “politics at its best.”

In conclusion, he said with 140,000 people waiting to sit their driving tests nationally the situation is far from being resolved.