Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)

When it comes to driver testing wait times, the story in Dublin Bay North is no different from anywhere else. In February 2025, Raheny had a wait time of 33 weeks, up from 14 weeks in February 2024. The pass rate in Raheny is 55.1%. The number of tests done in Raheny in April 2025 was 468, which was down from 642 in April 2024. This is a reduction of almost 30%. There is a similar story in Killester, with a wait time of 28 weeks. The RSA target, as colleagues mentioned, is ten weeks. The pass rate in Killester was 45.5% in April this year and the number of driver tests done was 316, which was down 35%.

On the other side, statistics from An Garda Síochána for Dublin metropolitan region north show the number of learner drivers caught driving unaccompanied was up from 200 in quarter 2 of 2023 to 324 in quarter 2 of 2024. The number of vehicles seized also increased in a similar way. The need for reform of the RSA system in Dublin Bay North, like everywhere else, is confirmed by the high number of applicants who fail their driver test. As I mentioned, the percentage in Raheny is 45% and in Killester it is 55%. All of these candidates who fail go back into the system, reapply and put more pressure on an already significant backlog. RSA reform in this area is urgent and long overdue.

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