Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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255. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is taking a minimum of 19 weeks in County Meath to get an invitation to book a driving test (details supplied); if he has plans to resolve this issue; and if he will fill any and all vacancies in the section given that the delays are due to a staff shortage. [51926/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, due to the suspension of driver testing services in the first 2020 lockdown, along with associated health protocols when the service resumed and further curtailing of services during subsequent restrictions, a significant backlog developed. Following the easing of public health restrictions, considerable progress was made in addressing this backlog, with waiting times being reduced significantly.

However, there has been an increase in application volumes and learners becoming eligible to take their test since the start of the year as the economy once again reopened post-pandemic and many learners who availed of increased capacity in the Driver Theory Test are now becoming eligible. While there has been some growth in demand over the summer months and accompanying seasonal capacity constraints, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is confident that current delays within the system will rectify before year end. 

 In early 2022, the RSA conducted a review of the current and evolving needs of the driver tester service. As a consequence, the number of permanent driver testers employed by the RSA was recommended to be raised from 100 to 130. My Department approved this request and following the recruitment process it is expected that additional testers will commence work by year end.

 As the operation of the national driving test service is the statutory responsibility of the RSA information on the driving test waiting times in the County Meath area is held by the Authority.  I have therefore referred this part of the question to the RSA for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.