Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to deal with the driving test backlog; if these plans include the opening of a new driving test centre in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9411/25]

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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264. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 198 of 11 November 2024, to provide an update from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) on the efforts it has to develop a permanent driving test centre in Drogheda, County Louth; if a site has been identified; if the RSA is planning to establish a temporary centre in the area while work on a permanent facility continues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9419/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 264 together.

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the Driver Testing Service including, the provision of test centres and their locations. As such, I have referred the Deputy's question's to the RSA for direct, detailed reply. I would ask the Deputy's to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Pending this full response, I am informed that the RSA are continuing to work with the Office of Public Works on finding a suitable test centre site for Drogheda but have been unsuccessful to date.

On the issue of delays in obtaining a driving test more generally, current waiting times are far in excess of what is acceptable and I would like to assure the Deputies that measures have been taken to address the issue.

To support the RSA in increasing testing capacity and improving service delivery, in September 2024 my Department sanctioned an additional 70 permanent positions for driver testers. This increases the total permanent sanction for testers to 200, which represents a doubling of permanent posts since June 2022.

As a condition of sanction, the RSA was required to put a plan in place to restore the 10-week waiting time target as soon as possible. I understand that recruitment is well underway, with a panel now in place and the first new testers to commence training in the coming weeks. As additional testers progressively enter the system and increase testing capacity, I expect that we will to see progress on reducing waiting times towards the 10-week target in the months ahead.