Vol. 521 No. 1
229 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the total number of provisional licences and full licences issued by his Department which are currently valid; the plans if any he has to reduce the number of provisional drivers on our roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16652/00]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 19 of 25 May 2000.
An estimated 380,000 provisional licences and 1,580,000 full driving licences were current at end 1999.
230 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the current waiting times for driving tests at each test centre; the total number of people currently awaiting a driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16653/00]
At 22 May 2000 some 92,200 applicants were on the waiting list for a driving test. Of these, some 26,000 have been given test appointments and some 15,700 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 test centres. The tabular statement below sets out the longest waiting time for each test centre.
|
Test Centre |
Longest waiting Times(weeks) |
|
Nth. Leinster Region |
|
|
Finglas-Raheny |
46 |
|
Dundalk |
12 |
|
Mullingar |
14 |
|
Navan |
12 |
|
Sth. Leinster Region |
|
|
Churchtown-Rathgar-Tallaght |
37 |
|
Gorey |
17 |
|
Naas |
30 |
|
Tullamore |
17 |
|
Wicklow |
17 |
|
West Region |
|
|
Athlone |
31 |
|
Birr |
32 |
|
Castlebar |
37 |
|
Clifden |
19 |
|
Ennis |
22 |
|
Galway |
32 |
|
Loughrea |
31 |
|
Roscommon |
36 |
|
Tuam |
29 |
|
Nth. West Region |
|
|
Ballina |
24 |
|
Buncrana |
20 |
|
Carrick-on-Shannon |
20 |
|
Cavan |
23 |
|
Donegal |
24 |
|
Letterkenny |
33 |
|
Longford |
22 |
|
Monaghan |
24 |
|
Sligo |
31 |
|
Sth. East Region |
|
|
Carlow |
24 |
|
Clonmel |
34 |
|
Dungarvan |
29 |
|
Kilkenny |
22 |
|
Nenagh |
34 |
|
Portlaoise |
30 |
|
Thurles |
32 |
|
Tipperary |
35 |
|
Waterford |
24 |
|
Wexford |
34 |
|
Sth. West Region |
|
|
Cork |
45 |
|
Killarney |
37 |
|
Kilrush |
30 |
|
Limerick |
29 |
|
Mallow |
43 |
|
Newcastle West |
42 |
|
Shannon |
42 |
|
Skibbereen |
44 |
|
Tralee |
41 |
|
Overall Average |
29.3 |
