Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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85. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the delays for driving tests at a location will be cleared (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22372/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. This includes all application and scheduling matters. Given the RSA's responsibility, I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct reply in relation to the specific test centre. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Pending this response, I acknowledge that current waiting times for driving tests are far in excess of what is acceptable and I would like to assure the Deputy that measures have been taken to address the issue. I met with the RSA last week to discuss this issue and instructed the Authority to return in two weeks with sustainable proposals which will provide a faster resumption to the service level agreement of 10-weeks.

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.

The recruitment process is underway, with the first tranche of new testers now being deployed into service. As additional testers enter the system, testing capacity will increase and progress should be seen on reducing waiting times in the months ahead.

As a condition of the sanction given in September, the RSA was required to put a plan in place to restore the 10-week waiting time target as soon as possible. When this plan was first put forward by the RSA, it envisaged a return to the target by November 2025. This is not acceptable given the level of delays already being suffered by learner drivers. I have instructed the RSA to review the plan and identify further measures that will bring forward the date for achieving the target.

The Deputy may wish to know that driver testing is offered on Saturdays where driver testers are available to do overtime and there are also additional morning and evening test slots offered where daylight allows. This has been the case since the current backlog in driving tests started to build up.

The driver testing booking system has also been updated to allow for any unused test slots to be made available for candidates to take up at short notice. The RSA now make these appointments available for candidates to book on the MyRoadSafety portal.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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86. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will clarify the invitation system to acquire a driving test; the length of time it is taking to get this invitation; the length of time waiting for the follow-on test, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22375/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service and the information requested relating to the invitation system for a driving test is held by the Authority.

I have therefore referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.