Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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21. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport what action his Department is taking to reduce the five-month waiting time for driving tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18391/23]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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22. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport what immediate action his Department is taking to help alleviate the waiting time for driving tests, which now stands at five months, in view that many provisional drivers now find themselves in a position where they will not have the funds to insure their vehicle wherein the cost is significantly higher for provisional drivers than fully licensed drivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18392/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the National Driving Test service. 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 by early-mid 2024.