Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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13. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in light of the upcoming industrial action by driving testers, the actions his Department will take to deal with growing driving test waiting times; the assistance that will be offered to those who are currently awaiting a test, or re-test, and cannot renew their learner permit in the interim; and if he can commit to renewing the leaner permits in such cases. [2533/26]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the operation and delivery of the Driver Testing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA). The current industrial dispute involving driver testers is therefore a matter for the RSA as the employer, with neither I nor my Department having a direct role.

As Minister, I welcome the commitment of both parties to enter talks before the Workplace Relations Commission on 20 January. I encourage the parties to comes to a resolution that avoids strike action, which would have severe negative impacts on customers.

I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of driver testers to reduce waiting times over the course of 2025, from a peak national average of 27 weeks last April to 10.6 weeks at the end of the year. This progress and the additional testing capacity now in the system allowed me to sign regulations last November to end the practice of learner drivers continually renewing a learner permit without ever sitting a test, an important initiative to improve road safety. These regulations have a 12-month lead in time before coming into effect on 1 November this year, and I believe this is more than adequate for those on a third or subsequent learner permit to make the necessary preparations to sit a test.