Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 7

Written Answers. - Driving Tests.

Dick Spring

Question:

24 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of applicants who are currently 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 being taken to reduce the waiting time for tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14748/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy):

Some 90,400 applicants are at present awaiting driving tests, an improvement of some 11,500 over mid-1999. Of these, approximately 25,400 have been given test appointments and a further 15,200 have indicated that they are not currently available to be tested. On average applicants have to wait 21 weeks for a test. However, applicants who require a test for urgent reasons are being given earlier appointments: about 38% of applicants are tested within 15 weeks. The average longest waiting time nationally is some 29 weeks, a reduction of 12 weeks relative to early 1999.

Average waiting times are not compiled for individual centres due to limitations in the IT systems involved. However, these systems are being upgraded with a view to producing this information in future. The following tabular statement sets out the longest waiting time for each centre.

Applications for driving tests are now running at record levels, driven by exceptional conditions of economic growth. Applications this year are expected to be 10% higher than in 1999 which saw a record 154,000 test applications made to my Department, compared to 118,000 applications in 1997.

Significant additional resources have already been allocated to the driver testing service, which now numbers 99 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 about 200,000 tests annually. Two new test centres have been provided in Tallaght and Raheny. Retired testers are now being employed and additional testers recruited to cope with the increased demand. I am determined to bring progressive and substantial improvement to the quality of the driving test service provided to the public and, in particular, to end current excessive and unacceptable waiting times.

In response to the recently published value for money examination of the driving test service by the Comptroller and Auditor General, I stated my particular concern to bring greater responsiveness and flexibility to the driver testing service in current conditions of rapidly rising demand for tests. I announced that my Department would immediately put in hand a review by consultants of the organisation and delivery of driving test services, with particular reference to the requirements of responsiveness and flexibility in an expanding market. This process is now under way. The review will include full consultation with service users, staff and other interests and I intend that it will be completed as a matter of urgency and necessary changes put in place.

Test Centre	Longest waiting period(weeks)
North Leinster Region
Finglas/Raheny	46
Dundalk	11
Mullingar	16
Navan	13
South Leinster Region
Churchtown/Rathgar/Tallaght	37
Gorey	16
Naas	33
Tullamore	15
Wicklow	17
West Region
Athlone	29
Birr	30
Castlebar	38
Clifden	26
Ennis	24
Galway	32
Loughrea	29
Roscommon	34
Tuam	28
North-West Region
Ballina	24
Buncrana	20
Carrick-on-Shannon	21
Cavan	19
Donegal	23
Letterkenny	33
Longford	24
Monaghan	26
Sligo	28
South-East Region
Carlow	29
Clonmel	34
Dungarvan	33
Kilkenny	33
Nenagh	33
Portlaoise	26
Thurles	34
Tipperary	31
Waterford	29
Wexford	39
South-West Region
Cork	46
Killarney	36
Kilrush	31
Limerick	32
Mallow	43
Newcastle West	46
Shannon	38
Skibbereen	43
Tralee	39
Regional Average
North Leinster	22
South Leinster	23
West	30
North-West	24
South-East	32
South-West	39
Overall Average	29.6