Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Earlier this year, the RSA conducted a review of the current needs of the driving test service. It recommended raising the number of permanent driver testers employed by it from 100 to 130. The Department approved that in June 2022, subject to the condition that the new testers would be recruited by open competition. The criterion on open competition is EU law. The recruitment process was conducted and offers were made to 30 people. We understand that most of them had been employed as temporary testers and, therefore, will not need further training. This cohort has been deployed across the national driving test service. The RSA indicates the remainder, likely to be fewer than five of the 30, will be taken on board and become operational by January 2023.

I realise what is happening is not good enough for those who need a driving test. The backlogs are a result of Covid, but the Department has asked the RSA to let it know what resources it needs. It is the authority’s role to ensure it has an adequate number of driver testers. Engagement is ongoing between my Department and the RSA to make sure the latter is meeting the demand of the public.