Vol. 503 No. 6
81 Mr. M. Higgins 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 reasons for the long delays; the steps, if any, taken to reduce the waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10841/99]
I refer to the reply to Priority Question No. 31 on today's Order Paper. Some 97,000 applicants are at present awaiting driving tests. Of these, approximately 26,000 have been given test appointments and a further 10,000 have indicated that they are not currently available to be tested.
While average waiting periods have not been compiled for individual test centres due to limitations in the IT systems involved, the national average waiting time for a test is now some 31 weeks. However, applicants who require a test for urgent reasons are being given earlier appointments. At present some 28 per cent of applicants are being tested within 15 weeks.
Applications for driving tests are now running at some 36 per cent above earlier levels, driven by exceptional conditions of economic growth. In 1998 an all time record of nearly 150,000 test applications were made to my Department.
Very significant additional resources are now being allocated to the driver testing service, which will shortly number 103 testers compared to 66 in 1998. Together with recent productivity agreements and Saturday working, this will increase the testing capacity of the service by over 90,000 tests to some 202,000 tests annually.
Through these actions, I am determined to bring progressive and substantial improvement to the quality of service provided to the public; and in particular to end present excessive and unacceptable waiting times.
