Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures he will take to keep the cost of taking driving tests down in view of the large increase in recent years. [52699/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The fee for the driving test was last increased shortly before I became Minister.  At that time, the fee for tests in vehicles of category EC1, EC, ED1 or ED, and also C1, C, D1 or D, was raised from €110 to €120, while the fee for all other categories was raised from €75 to €85.  The fee is waived where the application relates to vehicles in categories C1, C, D1, D, EC1, EC, ED1 or ED and the applicant has been unemployed for the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application and is registered with Forás Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS).

Driver testing is operated by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).  The RSA has been under pressure in recent years, like all public bodies, to reduce its cost to the Exchequer while also increasing the efficiency of its services, and has made significant progress.  The most recent fee increase, in 2011, was, I understand, approved in the context of reduced Exchequer funding and further efficiency savings identified by the RSA.  The fee increase was necessary to ensure that the RSA could continue to provide services as required.

The RSA will continue to seek efficiencies where possible and I would hope to keep driver testing fees at the current levels.