Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 November 2025
125. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an explanation for the increase in the average waiting time for a driving test invite from 11.5 weeks in September 2025 to 13 weeks in October 2025; and the reasons the downward trend in waiting times has reversed. [66694/25]
View answer130. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the reason the number of RSA driving testers decreased to 193 at the end of October 2025, below the agreed complement of 200 testers; and the effect this reduction has had on driving test waiting times. [66699/25]
View answer131. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Transport when the RSA expects to restore the number of testers to the agreed 200; and whether additional recruitment is planned given the increased demand and rising waiting times. [66700/25]
View answer135. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the oversight measures which are in place to ensure that the RSA meets its commitments on driving test waiting times and tester staffing levels; and whether penalties or corrective actions are triggered when service levels are breached. [66704/25]
View answer136. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Transport whether the RSA provided advance notice to his Department that waiting times were increasing and staffing levels had fallen below the agreed threshold of 200 testers. [66705/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 130, 131, 135 and 136 together.
Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. As such, the information requested in relation to the operation of the driver test service is held by the Authority. Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct reply on the questions around staff recruitment and retention and with respect to service performance. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
As the Deputy will be aware, reducing driving test wait times has been one of my priorities since taking office and I directed the RSA to produce and publish a service recovery plan to meet the 10-week average national waiting time target by September. The RSA successfully achieved this goal.
The latest information available to me is that, at the end of October, the average national waiting time for a driving test was 11.5 weeks. This slight increase above target is a short-term impact as a result of merging the test and re-test lists to ensure that all customers have the same experience when utilising the RSA self service system. The RSA anticipates that this change will have worked through the system in the coming weeks and that the 10-week target will be achieved by the end of November.
In line with other public bodies the RSA is subject to the Code of Practice on the Governance of State Bodies. In that regard, an oversight agreement is in place between my Department and the RSA which sets out the roles and responsibilities of the RSA. As part of this oversight structure my Department holds four oversight meetings - one per quarter - annually with the RSA where the RSA reports on all areas of its work, including in relation to the driver testing service. The most recent oversight meeting was held this month and my Department was informed that the RSA expected a temporary increase in average wait times for the driver test, the reasons for this and that the 10 week average wait time will be restored as soon as possible.
These quarterly meetings are complemented by monthly operational updates for all of the RSA's services and significant projects, which my officials review and interrogate. More recently, the RSA has prepared a fortnightly Ministerial update on the performance of the driver testing service specifically and their delivery against the recovery plan.
In September 2024, to support the RSA in increasing testing capacity and improving service delivery, 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.
The RSA has reported that as at the end of October there were 193 driver testers employed with 6 new testers in training. This marks a significant increase on the approximate 150 testers available at the beginning of this year. The RSA continues to recruit and train new driver testers with a view to having the full complement of 200 testers in place as soon as possible. However, it should be noted that like any job there will always be people who leave the service to take up other opportunities or retire. However, it is important that the RSA continues to put in place appropriate capacity management plans to ensure that the 200 figure is achieved and maintained.
