Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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244. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the options available to learner drivers who do not have family or acquaintances to accompany them in vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32574/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Driver testing in Ireland is carried out directly by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to a standard that complies with the EU Directive on Driving Licences and it has been an offence for a learner to drive without appropriate supervision since 2007. This is an important life-saving law.

A learner permit is not a driving licence, but a permit to be on the road for the purpose of learning to drive under the supervision of an appropriately qualified driver. The driving test sets out the minimum level of knowledge, skill, and competency that a learner must demonstrate to become a fully licensed driver. Until a learner can meet this standard and pass this test, they are not safe to take to our roads without appropriate supervision.

I must acknowledge that the current average wait time to sit a driver test is far above what should be expected. At my instruction, the RSA has published its plan to restore the average wait time to 10 weeks by September. Progress is being made, with average wait times having dropped from 27 weeks at the end of April to approximately 20 weeks by the beginning of June. It is important that this positive trend continues and that there is no slippage to the September timeline.