Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that the RSA has statutory responsibility for the operational aspects of the national driving test, NCT, including test applications and scheduling matters. I would first like to assure the Deputy that the Department is working closely with the authority on addressing driver testing waiting times, which is an issue of great concern. The current national average waiting time for an invitation to test is 21 weeks, far above the service level agreement of ten weeks. As I informed the Deputy previously, this is reflective of demand on driver testing services, which is 28% up on 2021 figures and 27% up on 2018 pre-Covid pandemic figures. Contributing factors include an increase in learner permits in circulation, increased capacity in the driver theory test and an increase in approved driving instructors' capacity to deliver lessons to learner drivers. All of these factors have experienced a surge in demand.

The RSA conducted a review of the current and evolving needs of the driver testing service in 2022, following which the Department sanctioned an increase in the permanent driver tester headcount from 100 to 130. Deployment of these successful candidates is almost complete and has been focused on geographical areas with the longest waiting lists. However, I acknowledge there is further work to be done to provide the driver testing services each customer deserves and the authority is committed to delivering. Subsequently, in late 2022 and early 2023, the RSA conducted an updated analysis of demand versus capacity. The Department is actively engaged with the RSA in evaluating this request for additional resources. It will shortly be in a position to have all relevant and required information from the RSA, which will enable the approval of the sanction to recruit a further cohort of driver testers needed to address the backlog and return to service level agreement targets.

The assessment is clear. We will have to sanction further testers to bring us back to a service level agreement of ten weeks or even better, which would be acceptable. That is why I am actively engaged, on a daily basis, in trying to accelerate that business case with a view to recruiting additional testers.

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