Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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185. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current average length of time that applicants wait for driving tests in each test centre in the country; the number of testers attached to each centre; the plans to increase the number of testers; the locations they will be based from; the extra funding approved by him for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19215/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The operation of the national driving test service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority and the information breakdown requested is held by them. I have therefore referred this 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 Approved Driving Instructors capacity to deliver lessons to learner drivers.

The Authority has reviewed capacity of the driver testing service to meet demand and following a request for additional resources in March 2023, my Department has 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 which have been fully deployed since the 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 to mid 2024.

A specific funding allocation for these posts is not required, as the roles are financed by the test fees received by the Authority from customers.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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186. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a driving test can be expedited for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19216/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for all aspects of 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.

Prioritised test appointments can be requested through the Authority for those applicants who are critical front-line workers employed by the HSE, a private hospital or the emergency services and who need to drive in the course of their duties.