British fill Irish driver shortfall
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by Ann Marie Foley • Irish road hauliers are recruiting British drivers in a bid to cope with a shortage blamed on long waiting lists for driving tests.
Several hundred British drivers are working in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, according to the Irish Road Haulage Association. They are being recruited by word of mouth for continental routes, but the IRHA says Brits may soon be recruited to work within the Irish domestic market.
It wants the Irish government to set up a "fast track" so new trainees can bypass the current eight-month waiting list for driving tests. The IRHA warns that the licensing bottleneck could get worse unless it is dealt with urgently.
"There should be a system in place whereby priority will be given to people who have a letter from an employer," says IRHA President John Guilfoyle, e situation cannot be d to continue—there are between 250,000 and 300,000 unemployed here in Ireland so it is ridiculous to have to recruit outside the country on "Th allowe account of bureaucracy."
There are up to 500 full-time driving jobs to be filled in the Republic of Ireland every year.