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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 29 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 3

Written Answers. - Driving Tests.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

78 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of applicants awaiting a driving test at the latest date for which figures are available; the average length of the waiting time for a test at each centre; the reason for the long delays; the steps, if any, being taken to reduce the waiting time for tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5988/00]

At 31 January 2000 some 89,400 applicants were on the waiting list for a driving test. Of these, some 28,700 have been given test appointments and some 15,600 have indicated that they are not currently available to be tested. Due to limitations in the IT system, involved information on the average waiting time by centre is not available. The current position in relation to longest waiting periods by test centre is however set out in the table below.

Very significant additional resources have been allocated to the driver testing service, which now numbers 101 testers compared to 66 in 1998. Together with recent productivity agreements and Saturday working, this has increased the testing capacity of the service by over 90,000 tests to over 200,000 tests annually. Two new test centres have been provided in Tallaght and Raheny. I will keep under review the question of recruitment of further testers, as necessary, to meet a quality service target of ten weeks maximum waiting time by the end of this year. As indicated in reply to previous questions, I am determined to bring progressive and substantial improvement to the quality of the driving test service provided for the public; and in particular to end present excessive and unacceptable waiting times: a maximum waiting period of ten weeks is being targeted by the end of this year.

Test Centre

Longest waiting period (weeks)

North Leinster Region

Finglas

48

Dundalk

22

Mullingar

17

Navan

27

South Leinster Region

Churchtown/Rathgar/Tallaght

43

Gorey

21

Naas

35

Tullamore

13

Wicklow

26

Test Centre

Longest waiting period (weeks)

West Region

Athlone

23

Birr

21

Castlebar

39

Clifden

21

Ennis

23

Galway

30

Loughrea

26

Roscommon

25

Tuam

25

North-West Region

Ballina

28

Buncrana

16

Carrick-on-Shannon

21

Cavan

25

Donegal

15

Letterkenny

39

Longford

26

Monaghan

22

Sligo

23

South-East Region

Carlow

28

Clonmel

22

Dungarvan

22

Kilkenny

30

Nenagh

21

Portlaoise

21

Thurles

22

Tipperary

24

Waterford

26

Wexford

33

South-West Region

Cork

49

Killarney

35

Kilrush

29

Limerick

39

Mallow

37

Newcastle West

43

Shannon

39

Skibbereen

38

Tralee

33

Regional Average

North Leinster

29

South Leinster

28

West

26

North-West

24

South-East

25

South-West

38

Overall Average

28.1

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