Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

72. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a person (details supplied) in County Clare who applied for a driving test 24 November 2022, will be given a date for a driving test; if the unacceptable delays at this test centre will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28863/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

The RSA operates a fair and transparent appointment scheduling process, and consequently I understand that those who are eligible and have been waiting the longest are offered a test first.

I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department is working closely with the Authority on addressing driver testing waiting times, which is an issue of great concern.

On the broader issue of 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 RSA has reviewed the 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 start to reduce from October 2023 and agreed service levels should resume by early to mid-2024. The additional testers will be assigned to fill current vacancies and otherwise allocated to centres with the highest demand for tests. The recruitment process by the RSA is currently under way.