Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I wish to share my time with Deputy Pat Breen. I welcome the Bill which I view as an important development. The skill of driving is probably the most important skill that any of us will acquire in our lifetimes as it carries with it considerable responsibilities. In this country we have been inclined to take that skill for granted. We have not given enough consideration to improving driving standards and the standards of our vehicles. We also need to examine the issue of education for young people in particular as regards driving.

The skill of driving and the mechanics of motor vehicles, which many young people use, should be part of our education system in some way. There is no reason we should not have a module as part of post-primary or secondary school education based on driving and handling cars, road safety and so on. That should be an integral part of our education system. The leaving certificate ought to provide some opportunity in that regard.

Statistics show that the standard of road safety is getting worse. In 2003, there were 335 fatalities on our roads. In 2004, that number increased to 379. This year so far, there have been 118 fatalities if not more, which is probably a higher amount for the same period compared with previous years. The 2004 figures showed the worst level of road deaths since 2001 and represented a 13% increase on the 2003 figures. It is accepted that driver error is the main cause of most fatal accidents. It is estimated to be the cause of about 85% to 90% of accidents. This highlights the urgent need for better drivers, improved driver education and training and an enhanced and modernised driving test regime. The most recent figures available show there is only one driving tester per 1,000 applicants waiting to sit the test. More than 119,00 people are on the waiting list, which is 10,000 more than two years ago. There are 116 testers at centres around the country, which is down from last years' figure of 130. People are getting frustrated because they cannot get a test and they are driving on provisional licenses. Lack of action and resources have resulted in inferior Irish drivers.

According to figures published on 24 January 2005, 300,000 people are driving on provisional licenses and over 117,000 applicants are waiting to sit their full test. The longest average national waiting time is 40 weeks, but there is a variation between test centres. The current longest waiting time is 56 weeks in Raheny, 55 in Dungarvan and 53 in Carlow.

Kerry has two test centres, in Killarney and Tralee. The Killarney centre has a waiting time of 47 weeks, which is unacceptable and the longest waiting time in the south west, and the Tralee centre has a waiting time of 34 weeks. Can the Minister respond to any efforts being made or is it up to the new authority to ensure this disparity will not exist throughout the country? Killarney has a large tourist industry and therefore more people are involved in ancillary services which include driving. It is important to have a high standard of driving skill in that area, which extends all the way to Cahirciveen.

The pass-fail variations around the country have been mentioned by a number of speakers. The pass rate varies from centre to centre which suggests different standards are being applied. The new agency will hopefully ensure standardisation and consistency across the country. It should not depend on the humour of the tester on the day or how he or she might interact with the driver in the event of a personality clash. There is much work to be done in the area of testing. In Carlow, the pass rate is approximately 50% while in Shannon it is 65%. That is a significant variation.

A recent article in The Irish Times clearly showed that we have the longest waiting times in Europe for the full driving test. Most other European countries have target times which must be met. The Minister will agree that it is extremely important to improve the standard of driving and to ensure people can sit tests as early as possible when they want them. We should set a target time of perhaps ten weeks.

The existing testing service gets through some 200,000 tests each year. However, the average failure rate of 48% means 100,000 people come back into the system. People go for tests without sufficient conditioning or preparation. It should be emphasised that they must be properly prepared. We speak of pre-planning with regard to other issues, but it should also apply to driver education. People should be encouraged to be better prepared when going for a test. Sometimes people request us to hurry their test applications but they have had no lessons or instruction. A family member might have taken them for a few drives, but they have had no professional instruction. There should be an obligation on these people to do so. It would reduce the number of failures and result in better drivers.

This is important legislation. The new authority will have a big responsibility in ensuring we have a better and more efficient system of driver testing. Our ambition should be to have the best drivers in Europe. The authority should also examine the broader issue of driving and education in particular. There is also a role for the Department of Education and Science in that this should form part of the transition year curriculum. The authority could perhaps prepare a module for use in all schools. This would have a significant impact on every child in transition year.

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