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

I thank all of the Deputies for the opportunity to update the House on the national driver testing service. As they have said, it is an issue for many people in urban and rural Ireland, in particular young people who have not been able to get a test. I acknowledge that and do not dispute the concerns they have set out. There is wide agreement that it is essential that the public has access to a reliable and high-quality driver testing service. In many cases it is crucial for young people wishing to study or to work, for example. A full licence opens up opportunities which would otherwise be limited, in particular for those who, as Deputies have said, do not have access to public transport which serves the journeys they need to make. For this reason, I can confirm that the Government is not opposing the motion, which is all about ensuring the driver testing service it at an acceptable level of performance. I accept we need to strengthen that and I do not dispute the principles set out by the Deputies in the context of improving its performance.

It is a key objective of this Government to provide all citizens who qualify with a reliable and high-quality national driving test service. It is important to note from the outset that under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, as Deputies have set out, the RSA has statutory responsibility for the national driver testing service as well as the national car testing service.

At the end of September, the average wait for a candidate to be invited to sit a driving test was 28.5 weeks. This figure is far above the service level agreement target of ten weeks. That is not an acceptable wait time for many young people. This average wait time is negatively impacting many people throughout the State. When I came into the Department a number of months ago, this was an issue I sought to address.

The increase in demand for driving tests and associated lengthening of the average wait time to invitation for learner drivers has been caused by a number of factors, including an increase in learner permits in circulation, increased capacity in the driver theory test system and an increase in the capacity of advanced driving instructors to deliver lessons to learner drivers. These factors have increased the volume of learners becoming eligible and ready to take their actual test.

To manage capacity before the pandemic, the RSA had been relying on temporary testers to keep up with demand and maintain necessary service levels. Recognising this was not a sustainable service delivery model, in 2022 the RSA undertook an assessment of the longer term demands, resulting in a sanctioned increase in the permanent driver tester headcount from 100 to 130. At the beginning of this year, anticipating further pressures, the authority was again asked to review the capacity of the driver testing service and, following a request for additional resources, sanction was given in March of this year for the recruitment of 75 additional driver testers, bringing the total number of sanctioned driver tester posts to over 200. We had around 100 in the summer of 2022. Once these testers are deployed, the figure will reach around 200. That demonstrates the focus by the Government and the RSA on trying to address this issue, which we know affects many people. This recruitment is under way. The first tranche of recruits was deployed in September.

It is important to say that the additional capacity facilitated a small decline in average wait times between the end of August and September. The RSA is currently providing an average of over 4,000 tests per week, up from 3,186 in October 2022 and a year-on-year increase of over 25%. The number of applications made for a driving test in 2023 is 5,024 per week, on average, and has increased from 3,254 applications per week in 2018.

While it is evident from these figures that the number of candidates for testing has increased substantially, the growth in the backlog has now started to slow. This is due to a number of operational factors, not least of which is the commencement of live testing by the first tranche of new testers in the field. As of 6 October, 29 additional testers had joined the RSA with a further 13 lined up for November. This is a net increase of 42 driver testing personnel.

As previously mentioned, the service level agreement waiting time for invitation to test is ten weeks and it is expected that as we deploy the additional testers we are recruiting, we will be back to that service level agreement by mid-2024. It is clear that the deployment of the new driver testers will have a positive impact on the service. We expect to see a reduction in waiting times through to the end of 2023 and, as I have said, out to next year.

Sanction has been provided for 75 testers, which is greater than the capacity required. The recruitment of suitable candidates for all of these posts will allow us to address the backlog, ensure there is a level of redundancy in staffing levels within the testing system and address broader issues in driver testing, along with the issue of learner permits and wider issues we need to address from a road safety perspective.

The recruitment campaign has included the robust training of testers to ensure that a quality service is provided to customers and, at the end of the process, candidates who pass their test are capable and competent on our roads. We need to have the best quality testers, trainers and drivers to ensure that our drivers are safe but, equally, I think we have created a situation where a driving test is seen as make or break for many young people. That is not in the interests of young people who need a car for college or work.

l am sure all Deputies present are as concerned as I am about the rising trend in road fatalities on our roads. As of yesterday morning, 152 people had died on our roads this year, an increase of 35, or 30%, on the previous year. The national driver testing service must be best in class, so that we can trust that those who pass their test are driving responsibly on our roads. Consequently, recruiting the right testers is critical and an integral enabler of the Government’s road safety strategy which targets a reduction in the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50% this decade.

Another part of the motion relates to the payment processes for the national car testing service. While we encourage the use of technology, we acknowledge that those who do not have access to electronic or card payment systems still need to be able to pay for services. The RSA appeared before the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications on 20 September to discuss these matters, among others, and shares the Department”s commitment that the ability to pay for services in cash and electronically remains available to all citizens.

The Deputies may also be aware that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, has written to all Departments to advise that public bodies under their aegis should continue to accept cash payments while his Department prepares new access to cash legislation and a new national payments strategy. Any change to payment methods by contractors of services such as the NCT must be agreed with the RSA, which has statutory responsibility for the provision of national car testing services. I assure Deputies that no changes to payment methods have been agreed or implemented. The RSA is clear on the need for a wide range of options for citizens.

As I have said, the spirit of what Deputies have set out in the context of giving opportunities for young people and ensuring they can get a test is an objective we share. That is why we have increased the number of sanctioned testers from 100 to 130. An additional 75 testers are being recruited. We want to reduce waiting times to an acceptable level. We also want to address the wider road safety issues in our country. Deputies may oppose some of the measures I am introducing in the context of the road safety measures Bill but that is a discussion for another day.

We want to improve the public service provision for driver testing. That is why we are enhancing recruitment. We are also commencing a review of the national driver testing curriculum, which has not been reviewed for over 30 years. We need to make sure the curriculum is fit for purpose in the context of our road safety. The RSA has been provided with the necessary resources, through the Department of Transport's sanction of additional driver testing posts, to achieve the accepted service level of a wait time of ten weeks across the State through a progressive reduction in waiting times between now and mid-2024.

Deputy Collins raised the issue of the deployment of testers. We have been very clear with the RSA that there needs to be priority deployment at testing centres that have the highest wait times. That is something we will continue to reflect. We have been absolutely clear that those centres with the longest wait times get the initial deployment of additional testers. I appreciate Deputies raising this issue. We want to drive progress in the context of the current wait times faced by many young people.

What young people have faced, the length of time they have been waiting, is unacceptable to me. My role as Minister of State has been to ensure we resource the issue, recruit additional testers and bring the wait time down. That is what I am seeking to do. I know this has been an issue for many Deputies, their constituents and citizens more broadly who have not been able to get a test. I thank the Rural Independent Group for proposing the motion.

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