Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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179. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current average waiting time for driving tests; what progress has been made to date in reducing the five-month waiting time for driving tests experienced by applicants earlier in the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31235/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 179 together.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for all aspects of National Driver Testing service, including scheduling.

On the matter of the steps being taken to reduce driving test waiting times 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 across the state. The service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand, which is up 28% on 2021 figures.

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 gave approval for the recruitment of up to 75 additional driver testers.

It is expected that once these additional 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 well under way.