Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for Transport the maximum number of driving tests that is possible to conduct in a 12 month period under the current driving test procedures and with current resources. [18438/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The number of standard 50 minute tests that could be scheduled to be conducted in normal time within a 12 month period, based on 115 whole-time equivalent testers, is approximately 195,000 taking into account factors such as annual leave, time allowances for staff to travel to test centres, weather conditions, sick leave and normal training absences.

However tests actually conducted by individual testers are also affected by late cancellations or applicants failing to attend. The number of tests lost in 2005 for these reasons amounted to almost 23,000 or 14% of tests arranged. Non-compliance of applicants with conditions also resulted in a further 7,000 tests approximately not being conducted in 2005.