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 (RSA) and the information requested is held by them. I have therefore referred the specific part of the 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 subject of driver testing waiting times, I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department is working closely with the Authority on addressing this issue.

The service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand, which is up 28% on 2021 figures.

The RSA reviewed the capacity of the service to meet demand and following a request for additional resources in March 2023, my Department gave approval for the recruitment of up to 75 additional driver testers. 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 is currently under way.

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.

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

Urgent tests are only available to applicants who are employed by the HSE, a private hospital or the emergency services where the candidate would need to drive as part of their job (not including commuting to their place of work). Information on who can apply for an emergency test is available at www.rsa.ie/services/learner-drivers/the-driving-test/faqs