John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

The waiting times for driving tests are increasing at my two local centres in Tallaght and Deansgrange, which serve constituents in Dublin South-West. I had a call to my office this morning from a constituent whose son has been waiting over nine months for a test. He represents Ireland in athletics and his father, who works in a hospital, has to accompany him or drive him around the country to races. All his son wants is his independence to drive himself, but he cannot as he is still waiting for his test.

Second, pass rates are very concerning, at just 40.3% in the Tallaght centre and 53% in Dún Laoghaire-Deansgrange, highlighting the urgent need for better support. We know too that there has been a rise in unaccompanied learner drivers and in vehicles being seized. Most tragically, though, 82% of fatal collisions involving learner drivers between 2019 and 2023 involved unaccompanied drivers.

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