Written answers
Tuesday, 12 April 2005
Department of Transport
Driving Tests
9:00 pm
Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 550: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of driving testers employed nationally; the number serving each test centre; the number of additionally employed driving testers from 1997 to 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10093/05]
Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The number of driving testers employed nationally, including a chief tester and supervisory testers, is 122. A further six retired driver testers are engaged on a consultancy basis. The number of driver testers employed since 23 November 1998 is 56.
Driver testers are assigned to headquarter centres within each region. Driver testers are, in turn, assigned from headquarter centres to meet the demand in other test centres. The following table does not include the chief supervisory tester or the ten supervisory testers.
| Testers Headquartered at Test Centres. | |
| Driving Test Centres | Testers |
| North Leinster Region | |
| Finglas | 17 |
| Raheny | 9 |
| Dundalk | â |
| Mullingar | â |
| Navan | 1 |
| South Leinster Region | |
| Churchtown/Rathgar | 15 |
| Tallaght | 11 |
| Gorey | â |
| Naas | 2 |
| Tullamore | â |
| Wicklow | â |
| West Region | |
| Athlone | 2 |
| Birr | â |
| Castlebar | 4 |
| Clifden | â |
| Ennis | 3 |
| Galway | 6 |
| Loughrea | 2 |
| Roscommon | â |
| Tuam | â |
| North West Region | |
| Ballina | â |
| Buncrana | â |
| Carrick-on-Shannon | 1 |
| Cavan | 2 |
| Donegal | â |
| Letterkenny | 3 |
| Longford | â |
| Monaghan | 1 |
| Sligo | 3 |
| South East Region | |
| Carlow | 1 |
| Clonmel | 2 |
| Dungarvan | â |
| Kilkenny | 2 |
| Nenagh | â |
| Portlaoise | 1 |
| Thurles | â |
| Tipperary | â |
| Waterford | 3 |
| Wexford | 4 |
| South West Region | |
| Cork | 14 |
| Killarney | 1 |
| Kilrush | â |
| Limerick | 4 |
| Mallow | â |
| Newcastle West | â |
| Shannon | â |
| Skibbereen | â |
| Tralee | 3 |
Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for Transport the date the most recent driving tester was recruited and hired by his Department; if there is a panel of potential driving testers from which his Department can recruit; if there is such a panel, when the last tester was hired from it; and the length of time that person is in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10094/05]
Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The most recently recruited driver tester was hired on a contract basis on 8 October 2001. This contract tester was hired from a panel set up after the 1998 driver tester Civil Service Commission competition. There is no longer a panel in existence.
The Department has also retained the services of former driver testers who were engaged on a short-term basis in recent years.
Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 552: To ask the Minister for Transport if a major recruitment of driving testers will be initiated in order to reduce the average waiting times of almost 12 months for a driving test in many centres; if he will recruit additional administrative and support staff necessary to facilitate speedier driving tests and reduce waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10095/05]
Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is in discussions with the Department of Finance on a number of initiatives to improve the overall driver testing service, including the recruitment of additional testers, aimed at reducing waiting times.
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