Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

I am looking at the notice taken from the relevant website indicating the pass rates and waiting times at the various driver testing centres. There is a huge variation among the 48 centres. In my own county of Tipperary there is a pass rate of 51% and a waiting time of 53 weeks in Clonmel. There is a pass rate of 53% and a waiting time of 59 weeks in Nenagh. If I cross the border to the Minister's constituency, there is a pass rate of 61% and a waiting time of 61 weeks in Dungarvan. I think there is a pass rate of 54% and a waiting time of 44 weeks in Waterford city, which is simply too long.

The variation in waiting times and pass rates is unacceptable. It gives rise to difficulties for applicants for the driving test. There is a high pass rate of 64.7% in Birr, County Offaly, while the pass rate in Rathgar in Dublin is 41%. This begs the question as to what the criteria for the driving test are, whether testers are properly trained and what considerations they take into account when examining applicants. While some variation is to be expected between the various centres, one would imagine it would be within a range of possibly 5% to 10%. To find variations in the range of 20% leads me to think there are serious difficulties with the current system and testing criteria. There is a pass rate of 61.4% in Loughrea. It appears, therefore, there is a lower pass rate in the larger urban areas than in smaller towns. The variations in pass rates and waiting times undermine the entire driving test system.

Many parts of the country have few, if any, public transport services. A person living in Rathgar who has not passed the driving test can at least use public transport to get to work. There is the Luas, the DART and a bus service in the Dublin area. There are also transport services in the larger cities and towns. However, for young people living in rural areas, the variation in the pass rate means that many of those who fail the driving test are not in a position to take up employment where they would be required to drive to work.

The average waiting time is 40 weeks and it is significantly higher in some areas. Young people living in a rural area such as west or east Tipperary who work in Clonmel, Limerick or Waterford cannot avail of public transport to get to work. The fact that driving tests are not available within a reasonable period presents a serious difficulty. It means young people living in such areas are unable to take up employment.

The system has a further complication in terms of insurance. Insurance companies load certain categories of drivers, particularly those with provisional driving licences. In many cases, a young person who purchases a car discovers that the insurance premium is as expensive as and, in some cases, more expensive than the car. Again, the fact that one must wait so long for a driving test presents a problem for young people looking for car insurance.

The Minister said there were special arrangements for such cases. However, even then, the waiting time can be up to four months. If a young person has an offer of a job, four months is too long to wait. No employer will wait that long. In a case I dealt with recently, it was 12 weeks before there was a cancellation in order that a person could take the driving test to enable them to take up employment. The current system is not working and creates many difficulties for applicants.

There are approximately 380,000 provisional driving licence holders, of whom approximately 180,000 are first provisional licence holders, approximately 105,000 are second provisional licence holders and approximately 90,000 are third or subsequent provisional licence holders. There are, therefore, approximately 200,000 provisional licence holders driving legally without an accompanying driver. This causes difficulties, particularly with regard to road safety. One must assume that when there are 200,000 provisional driving licence holders driving on ours roads, it is not good for road safety.

The number of deaths in road traffic accidents is, on average, 350 per annum. While the figure was reduced by the initial implementation of the penalty points system, we are now back to having a high number of deaths as a result of road traffic accidents. We must provide a driver testing system which will offer applicants easy access to tests within a reasonable length of time. That is important both from a road safety point of view and from the point of view of young people taking up employment and obtaining car insurance.

The number of driver testing centres must be expanded. There are 48 in the State but in south Tipperary there are only centres in Tipperary town and Clonmel. A reasonable sized town should have a driver testing centre to ensure easy access for people living locally. A place such as Carrick-on-Suir should have a driver testing centre to cater for the east Tipperary, north-west Waterford and south-west Kilkenny areas. This example could be duplicated in a number of areas.

Another matter dealt with in the Bill is that of driving instructors, an issue about which the Minister spoke on Second Stage. There is concern among driving instructors about their registration in the future and how existing instructors will be assimilated into the new arrangement. Many have told me that during discussions with the previous Minister there was an understanding instructors who were members of the national association would automatically transfer as instructors under the new system. In recent years many instructors have undertaken training courses and examinations and are providing an excellent service at local level. The Minister should consider the position of existing instructors who have a great deal of experience and are members of the national association. They should be registered as instructors with the new authority.

The Minister has indicated that although it is not provided for in the Bill, responsibility for the testing of vehicles might be taken over by the authority in the future. Vehicle testing, now carried out by the National Car Testing Service, should form part of the remit of the new authority. There are various reasons for this, of which one is to ensure there would be a single authority dealing with all aspects of driving, driver testing and vehicle testing. As a result, there would be competent drivers on our roads which would, I hope, lead to a reduction in the number of road traffic accidents and road deaths.

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