asked the Minister for Local Government how many of the 17,000 failures in the driving test to date were due to failure (a) in the practical test and (b) in the theory test.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Driving Test Failures.
37.
Statistics of the numbers of persons who fail the driving test are not available in a form which would make it possible to give the precise figures requested. Based on an investigation made some time ago, it is estimated that of those who failed to qualify for test certificates, approximately 30 per cent failed both the practical and theoretical part. The number who failed the theoretical part only would be small.
Could the Minister state if, when an applicant fails in the test, the notice will indicate to him why he failed?
Yes. I have seen some of the notices and in each case it was stated on the notice what the faults were.
Is the Minister satisfied the test is a uniform one—that it is applied uniformly?
Let me answer this in another way without seeking to avoid answering the question. I am making every effort to see that the test is applied uniformly.
Is the Minister not aware that there is dissatisfaction in the country about the delays in people being called for their tests and could not the Minister ensure there will not be such a long time-lag between the application and the test?
We are fully alive to that. Even now we are endeavouring to recruit further testers. Deputies must remember that we had to bring this up from nothing and it has not been easy. I know there are causes for complaint about delays but we are trying to meet them and we are all the time looking for more testers.
Who tests the testers?
Another tester.
Deputy Coogan.
Does the Minister agree that there are two ways in which to fail an applicant—practice and theory—and would he agree that several people have been failed in tests even though they were told by the testers that they had been successful, due to the fact that in the estimation of the driver-tester and officials of the Department the signature of the person undergoing the test did not correspond with the signature on the original application? What redress has a person got who finds himself in this position, who states that he signed the original application and the necessary papers on the day of the test?
Though this is not relevant it is a matter on which a number of cases have come to my notice. The person tested has insisted that the signatures in dispute were both his. However, there have been quite a number of cases where the signature on the original application was that of his girl friend, his mother, his father, his brother, his sister or some other relative.
What would that have to do with driving a car?
That is not the point. We would not know whether it was "a ringer" or the genuine article.
If the Minister is satisfied that the applicant is above board, that there was a simple mistake, would he cut out the red tape?
It is not a question of red tape.
We have travelled a long way from the subject matter of the question.
It is not as simple as that. I have had cases in my county, in my area——
They are the ones I am talking about.
——where the mistake was genuine, but it happened. The fact is that in so far as the tester was concerned, on the day he tested the person and got his signature, he found it did not correspond with the signature on the original application. There was no question of insistence that the signatures should correspond. He was not then, as a tester, in a position to know that the person being tested was the person named.
If the applicant could give evidence that he was the same person, would be not then be all right?
The Minister did not reply to my supplementary——
Question No. 38.
I should like to point out——
I have called Question No. 38. The Deputy will resume his seat.