Driver Test

Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Questions (175, 176, 181, 197)

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

175. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport his plans to reduce driving test waiting times, in particular in the Finglas test centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2525/25]

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John Paul O'Shea

Question:

176. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Transport the way his Department plans to reduce the waiting times for driving tests in the Cork region given the current long wait times. [2528/25]

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John McGuinness

Question:

181. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Transport the actions he is taking to reduce the unacceptable waiting time for driving tests in Kilkenny; the number of applicants waiting for a test in each of the past five years; and if other test centres are experiencing the same delays. [2652/25]

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Aindrias Moynihan

Question:

197. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport the average wait time for driving retests in Cork test centres for each month in 2024 and for January 2025; the average wait time for driving tests in Cork test centres in the same periods; the measures that are being taken to address these lengthy wait times for both tests and retests, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2778/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Transport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 175, 176, 181 and 197 together.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the RSA for direct, detailed reply. Please contact my private office if a response is not received within ten days

Pending this detailed response, to address the issue of driver testing waiting times, in September 2024 my Department sanctioned an additional 70 permanent positions for driver testers. This increases the total permanent sanction for testers to 200, which represents a doubling of permanent posts since June 2022.

As a condition of sanction, my officials have requested that a plan is put in place to restore waiting times to 10 weeks as soon as possible. I understand that recruitment is well underway and additional capacity will enter the service in the coming months, helping to progressively reduce waiting times.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the RSA publish detailed monthly information on the driver testing service on the CSO website, including the breakdown of waiting times and distribution of testing capacity by test centre. This information is available at the following link: https://data.cso.ie/product/RSADTS

Question No. 176 answered with Question No. 175.