Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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242. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reasons a person's estimated week of invitation to apply for their driving test is being pushed out (details supplied); the reason for the delay in driving tests; his plans to reduce the lengthy wait-times experienced by those seeking to sit their driving test; when the wait-time can be expected to return to normal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16469/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driving Test service.  This includes test applications and scheduling matters. Neither I nor my Department have the power to intervene in individual cases. I have therefore referred the specific part of the Deputy's Question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

On the broader issue of driver testing delays, the service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand, which is up 28% on 2021 figures. This increase in demand for driving tests and the time to invitation for learner drivers has a number of contributing factors which include an increase in learner permits in circulation, increased capacity in the Driver Theory Test and an increase in Advanced Driving Instructors capacity to deliver lessons to learner drivers.

The Authority has reviewed the demand and capacity of the driver testing service and, following a request for additional resources in March 2023, my Department has now given approval for the recruitment of up to 75 driver testers. This is in addition to the 30 testers who were previously sanctioned in July 2022 and have been fully deployed since end of March 2023. This brings the total number of sanctioned driver tester posts to just over 200.

It is expected that once these additional 75 driver testers are recruited, trained and deployed, the backlog for driver testing services will be actively managed such that it will start to reduce from October 2023 and agreed service levels should resume in early-mid 2024.