Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

Last year, nearly 19,000 vehicles were seized by An Garda Síochána for being uninsured following the introduction of the new Irish motor insurance database. That is a positive development that makes our roads safer. In comparison, gardaí seized approximately 5,000 vehicles from unaccompanied learner drivers even though there are approximately 370,000 learner permits in the State according to the RSA and an Aviva Insurance survey this year found that 28% of motorists had driven unaccompanied on a learner permit while only 36% of drivers said they had never done so and did not know someone who had. We need the same level of commitment in clamping down on unaccompanied learner drivers. Fourteen unaccompanied learner drivers were involved in collisions in 2023. Fines of €160 and two penalty points are simply not enough. The mixed messages to learner drivers need to end. The loophole whereby learner drivers can apply for a driving test but not take it and then keep driving with a provisional licence must be closed without further delay. Even though there is no excuse for unaccompanied learner drivers being on the road, a sluggish driver testing system, a culture that turns a blind eye and half-hearted penalties add to the practice.

Last week, it was reported in the news that our local driver testing centre in Mulhuddart had a waiting period of 28 weeks, which is very close to the current national average. However, people contacting my office say it is closer to 40 weeks. We gained a testing centre at Maple House but lost the centre at the Carlton Hotel and have seen a 54% increase in our waiting list since the end of 2022. The centre at Maple House alone has seen a 22.5% increase in its waiting list in just over a year, showing that demand is not just sustained, but accelerating. I ask the Minister of State to expand capacity, to recruit more testers, to extend opening hours, if needed, to put an end to the profiteering by some in securing cancellations and to ensure that people can access driving tests in a timely and fair way. We need a system that puts road safety and the integrity of driver behaviour first.

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