Fórsa has called on transport minister Eamon Ryan to intervene to stop driving tests in cars during the Level Five Covid lockdown. The union also wants driver-testers – who currently conduct multiple daily tests in confined spaces without social distancing – moved up the priority list for vaccines.

Fórsa official Denis Keane said testers could be in close contact with between 30-40 people a week, depending on the number of tests they conduct. He said their fears were mounting in light of the new and more virulent variant of Covid-19 circulating in the community.

In a letter to Minister Ryan, Denis said testers were being told to conduct tests, which means they are sitting inches away from applicants, for 50 minutes, several times a day.

“It also means that large numbers of people are travelling distances far in excess of the five kilometre radius from their home. The current regulations say tests should be restricted to essential workers, but a significant number of the applicants turning up for tests are not essential workers. We believe this is putting our member’s health at risk, while endangering other citizens due to the large number of people travelling for the tests,” he said.

The union has repeatedly raised the issue with Road Safety Authority (RSA) management, the transport department, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Denis said the RSA was continuing to engage closely with the union and lead worker safety reps in relation to procedures and protocols, which are being kept under review.

“But the decision to continue testing is not made by the RSA but by the department. Due to the current viral strain of Covid our members are very worried about the health of themselves and their families. They have little or no faith that the protocols currently in place will continue to protect them against Covid,” he said.

Driver testers are currently in the ‘group ten’ priority list for Covid vaccinations. Fórsa says the nature of their work means they should be higher up the list, and that testers who are deemed close contacts should be tested for Covid.

Earlier this month the union complained that too many public servants were being required to go into workplaces unnecessarily. 

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