Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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84. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the discussions he has had with the RSA regarding the need to increase driving testing and theory testing capacity to clear the current waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44227/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is in constant contact with the Road Safety Authority since the start of the pandemic regarding all of its services, the impact of Covid-19 on those services, and how they can best be maintained in the current circumstances.

Since last October, the driver testing service has been prioritising essential workers. Since May 2021, the RSA has been returning to delivering tests for all customers, while continuing to prioritise critical frontline workers who need to drive as part of their job (this does not include commuting to their job). In the interest of fairness, the RSA targeted test appointments to those waiting longest who are ready and eligible to take the test

The service continues to operate under restrictions in the interest of making it safe while there is an ongoing presence of Covid.

The RSA intend to increase the number of tests from 6 to 7 per tester per day from late September.

The Road Safety Authority received sanction to hire 40 new temporary testers, in addition to 36 they were sanctioned to retain or rehire in 2020. These new testers have completed their training and are now conducting live tests since July 2021. Sanction has also been granted to recruit a further 40.

 An extra 10 temporary test centres have been opened (and are effectively an expansion of existing locations or replacing unsuitable locations), and a further 9 locations have been expanded within the existing premises, to accommodate more testers.

The Driver Theory Test service has significantly increased its capacity since it reopened in June 2021.

The number of tests provided has now increased from an average pre Covid19 level of 15,000 to over 25,000 appointments monthly. This number continues to increase and almost 50,000 tests were provided during the month of August.

The RSA has also been working to extend its online theory testing service. The new offering will see up to 10,000 online theory tests available for all categories of vehicles per month. Tests are available on a first-come-first-served basis with the new online service becoming more widely available later in the year.

 However, it is disappointing that 1 in 6 customers are failing to show up for their Driver Theory Test. The RSA would ask any customer that is unable to attend for their test to let the Driver Theory Test service know in plenty of time so the appointment can be allocated to another candidate who needs a test.

The Department and the RSA are very conscious of the significant number of people waiting to take their tests. Every possible measure is being put in place to ensure that the maximum number of customers can be served while public health guidance is strictly adhered to. The public’s continued patience and understanding is requested as plans are put in place to safely and gradually increase capacity.