There is no basis for the Deputy's assertion that people living in Border counties are treated any differently, in terms of availability of driving test appointments to the rest of the country. It has always been and continues to be the policy of my Department that the same standard of facilities should be available throughout the country in relation to driving tests and that waiting periods for tests should be maintained, so far as is possible, at the same level. Inevitably, for operational reasons, differences in waiting times will occur between centres from time to time but over the longer term these differences balance out. These operational reasons have to do, principally, with the fact that demand for tests vary from place to place and, as a consequence, many centres would not support the presence of a driver tester on a full-time basis. For this reason, in such centres, some build up of test applications is necessary to ensure efficient and cost effective use of driver testers' time.
The longest waiting period for a test in Mallow is currently about 17 weeks compared to 15 weeks nationally and 18 weeks in the Border counties as a whole. Many applicants, however, are tested more quickly. In particular any applicant who indicates a need for an early test for reasons such as employment or travel abroad is facilitated. In fact, records show that over the six month period between July and December 1995 all those applicants in Mallow who indicated a need for an early test were tested within six weeks of applying. From these figures two things are clear. One, the Mallow area is treated no differently to other areas and, two, those who need early tests do not have to wait an inordinate length of time to get them.
Having said that, however, it is the Minister's intention to reduce waiting periods generally. The time available for tests reduces sharply during the winter months since testing is not considered to be feasible after dark. With the onset of brighter days from the end of February onwards, greater testing output will bring about a reduction in the waiting time. In order to accelerate and consolidate this reduction the Minister arranged for the recruitment and training of seven additional driver testers late last year bringing the total strength up to a current 72 testers. These additional testers are now operational and will make a significant contribution over the coming months. The Minister is, at present, considering what additional initiatives may be possible to secure a sustained improvement.
It is the Minister's intention to ensure that an efficient testing service will continue to be available to the public and that waiting periods for driving tests will be maintained at an acceptable level.
