Mr. Brendan Walsh:

I would like to begin by thanking the committee, through the Vice Chair, for the opportunity to speak to members today to discuss issues impacting the national car testing service, NCTS, and the driver testing service. Given recent events on our roads and in relation to Ireland’s road safety performance so far this year, it is with great sadness that we acknowledge the tragic loss of life on Ireland’s roads in 2023. On behalf of myself and my colleagues in the RSA, I extend my condolences to all of the bereaved families across the country at this most difficult time. Over the period from 1 January 2023 to today, unfortunately there have been 121 fatal collisions that have resulted in 131 deaths, which represents 26 more deaths compared to the same period in 2022. In addition, almost 850 people have been seriously injured in road traffic collisions so far this year. The RSA welcomes the committee's invitation to appear before it next week for a focused discussion on road safety. Along with other delivery partners, we will provide more detail in relation to our road safety performance and we will outline our short- and long-term priorities to reverse this trend, including progress on a number of priority actions identified within the Government road safety strategy. I will begin by providing the committee with an update on the NCTS.

The RSA has overall responsibility for the operation, oversight, development, quality assurance and delivery of the NCTS. The national car test, NCT, was introduced in 2000, and over the past 23 years it has played an important role in improving road safety in Ireland. It has also played a vital role in protecting the environment, as the NCT also enforces regulations around vehicle emissions. The service is provided at 49 test centres nationwide, with a new NCT centre due to open in the coming weeks in Castleisland in County Kerry, bringing the total number of test centres to 50. In addition, there are plans to open new test centres in other locations to cater for future long-term needs. These centres are planned in Limerick or Clare, Cork, Cavan or Monaghan, and Dublin.

Responsibility for the delivery of the NCT service lies solely with the contractor, Applus. Applus's managing director, Mr. Mark Synnott, who is here with me today, will provide a comprehensive update on the service to the committee shortly. The RSA's statutory obligations in respect of the NCT are to exercise a supervisory and oversight role to ensure the service is provided in line with the service’s project agreement. We also work with our parent Department, the Department of Transport, in assisting it in relation to the development of policy around vehicle roadworthiness and vehicle standards, which is a key factor in road safety in Ireland.

To assist the RSA in our supervisory role, we appointed a supervision services contractor, SSC, Deloitte, to carry out certain supervisory services on our behalf. This involves monitoring the contractor’s achievement of performance and service levels and reporting on these regularly to the RSA. Another structural approach to performance monitoring and oversight that the RSA has put in place is the appointment of AA Ireland as technical inspections services provider. It regularly monitors delivery of the service at the 49 test centres nationwide and at the contractor’s headquarters. This includes observing tests and conducting independent tests. In 2023, as of the end of July, AA Ireland had carried out more than 2,654 observed tests and 2,063 independent tests. The results show that more than 99% of testing is carried out correctly.

In addition to regular strategic oversight meetings, we meet the contractor on a weekly basis to facilitate and monitor progress on changes to work practices designed to increase capacity following the disruption caused by Covid and other challenges faced by the service since early 2020. I acknowledge that Applus is not currently meeting the waiting time service level of 12 days, as per the project agreement, due to demand and capacity issues, which Mr. Synott will expand upon. It is important to reflect that there are a number of key service levels being met, and exceeded in some cases. These include customer satisfaction, telephone response times, numbers of customer complaints and test accuracy.

Turning to the issue of the backlog, the service faced serious challenges in 2020 and 2021 as a result of deferred tests due to Covid-19. To address deferred tests, the NCTS required a significant increase in its testing resource. However, the constraints of the local labour market, particularly in 2022 and this year to date, resulted in a significant shortfall in the available testers Applus was able to recruit, a point shared with this committee on my previous appearance. With the support of the Department of Transport, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the members of this committee, the State has approved 200 work permits to date. This has allowed Applus to recruit testers from the Philippines, of which 90 are in situ, and a further 50 have had work permits approved and are expected to be operational in the service by the end of November 2023.

I am acutely aware that a commitment was given to this committee, the Minister and the public that the service would return to normal operating levels by June 2023. Regrettably, this was not achieved due to a prolonged overseas recruitment process, given the interdependencies of multiple Government Departments and the necessary due process. All stakeholders have learned lessons from this process and the current recruitment process is progressing well. It is our expectation that the NCTS will be back to normal operational levels by the end of this year. The average lead time for an appointment for a test is currently 18.6 days against a target of 12 days nationally. Mr. Synnott will outline the extensive plan and measures the NCTS has taken to increase capacity within the service. These include an extensive recruitment programme in Ireland and abroad, increased overtime and extending opening hours. I acknowledge the frustration and confusion customers have experienced as a result of delays in securing a test appointment. I wish to tell our customers that we are on track to return the service to normal by the end of 2023. I thank the committee and ask for patience as we work with our contractor to achieve this.

I will move to the driver testing service and the position at the end of August 2023. I will give an insight into the current position of the service. As of the end of August this year, 16,043 people have been scheduled to sit a driving test in the following four weeks. The figure has increased from 13,980 in October 2022, as per my statement at my first appearance at this committee. In addition, there are 71,554 learner drivers waiting to receive an invitation to book their test, which is up from 44,545 in October 2022. In quarter 2 of 2019, there were 230,729 active learner permits in the State. This average was the same in the previous two years. As of the end of quarter 2 of 2023, there are 352,887 driver learner permits active in the State, representing an increase of 53%. We are experiencing increases, particularly in those aged 17 to 20, where the increase has been 64%, and in those aged 30 to 39, where the increase has been 54%. A further 28,459 learner drivers have applied for their driving test, although they are not eligible to sit a test yet, usually because they have not completed their 12 mandatory lessons or the six-month rule applies, whereby they cannot sit a test in the first six months of having received their first learner permit.

To be clear, therefore, the actual number of learner drivers available, eligible and waiting for an invitation to book their driving test is 71,554, up from 44,545 in October 2022, representing an increase of 61%. At the moment, the national average time to invite for a test is 30 weeks, which is unsatisfactory. The service level agreement in place with the Department of Transport is to maintain an average waiting time of ten weeks. Where a learner driver fails their test and reapplies, we endeavour to invite them to book another test date between six to eight weeks after their failed test. This is longer in some centres due to exceptionally high demand. Those waiting for a truck, bus or motorcycle test are generally invited within ten to 12 weeks of applying.

To put this in context, the RSA currently provides an average of 4,000 tests per week, up from 3,186 in October 2022, when we first briefed this committee. The number of applications for a driving test in 2023 is averaging 5,024 per week. This increased from 3,254 applications per week in 2018, which, for the purpose of the driver test, is the historical reference period. The backlog of applications which built up throughout the pandemic was effectively cleared earlier in 2022 and reduced to six weeks. This new demand was being met up until July and August 2022. Since then, unfortunately, there have been challenges to meeting increased demand. These challenges include a 16% increase in applications for a driving test versus the same period in 2022, owing to the increased level of drivers passing through the essential driver training cycle, the need for dedicated training of staff to conduct tests in higher categories to meet the demand for truck, bus and motorcycle tests and a reduced workforce owing to staff retirements and contracted staff reaching the end dates on their contracts. To meet increased demand, we were given sanction by the Department of Transport to increase the number of permanent driver testers from 100 to 130 in early 2022. All of these posts were filled by an open competition. The RSA made a request to the Department of Transport for additional driving testers, which was approved on 29 March. The RSA was granted approval to recruit up to 75 additional driving testers for a period of two years. My colleague, Ms Coleman, will be happy to take questions on our recruitment process, which commenced immediately after this approval. We are delighted to say that the first 14 recruits have successfully passed through their training and have been operational since 18 September.

Over the past 20 months, applications for driving tests have been at unprecedented levels. For example, to the end of August, we had received 170,826 applications versus 169,237 for the full year in 2018. This is driven by a number of factors, including population growth, inward migration and an increase in drivers under instruction by approved driving instructors, ADIs. The number of applications for learner permits has also increased to record levels and currently stands at 53% versus the same period in 2019, and it continues to grow.

Our indicators, which we track through the service from learner to licensed driver, will provide us with the information that will allow us identify the number of driving testers required in the future. We are working with our colleagues in the Department of Transport to monitor the data points and to ensure that we are staffed correctly to deliver the ten-week SLA after the temporary sanction expires. I know the committee wants to know when we will be in a position to meet the SLA of ten weeks. I want to be clear. Based on our permanent and temporary staff, the driver testing service SLA is expected to be achieved in mid-2024.

I will reiterate the position with regard to requests for urgent driving tests. If a customer is a critical front-line worker employed by the HSE, a private hospital or the emergency services, and needs to drive in the course of his or her duties, he or she may submit a request using the form on the RSA website. If that request is approved, then the customer will be prioritised. In the interests of fairness and transparency to all customers, invitations to book a test slot are issued in strict rotation, with those who applied and are eligible being invited first. Where customers have previously failed their car test and reapplied, they are fast-tracked and sent a new booking invitation six to eight weeks after their previous test. This is longer in some centres.

This concludes my opening statement to the committee on requested matters. I am happy to take questions from members on our submission and my opening statement.