Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Mar 2003

Vol. 563 No. 1

Priority Questions - Driving Licences.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

131 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Transport the reasons thousand of motorists are unable to obtain dates for driving tests at his Department's office in Ballina, County Mayo; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are now thousands of drivers who now have no legal entitlement to drive as they have completed their full term on a provisional licence and now must obtain a date for a driving test before another provisional licence can be obtained from the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7315/03]

Mr. Brennan

In order for a person to obtain a third or subsequent provisional driving licence, the person concerned must have undergone a driving test for the category of vehicle within the preceding two years, or have a driving test appointment arranged.

My Department has a procedure in place to facilitate candidates for a driving test who require a test date in order to renew a provisional driving licence that has expired or is about to expire. Arising from a recent disruption of the driver testing IT system due to technical difficulties, this process was interrupted for a period of almost two weeks. The problem has now been resolved and the scheduling of advanced dates for those who require a test date in order to renew their provisional licence has resumed.

However, in view of the significant volume of applications for a driving test currently on hand and the need to deal with the scheduling backlog that arose due to the fault in the IT system, the issuing of test dates for all seeking a date so as to enable them to renew a licence will require time. Staff in the section are working overtime to clear the current backlog and I would like to take this opportunity to ask people to be patient.

The current level of applications for the driving test and the resultant backlog is unprecedented. While the capacity of the driving test service to deliver tests has increased significantly in recent years I am considering, in consultation with the Minister for Finance, what other measures can be taken to enable tests to be offered within the shortest possible time. Such measures are likely to include additional overtime work to allow tests to take place outside normal working hours and on Saturdays and recruitment of retired testers. In common with all driver testers, any additional tester employed will be given appropriate training and will be supervised in the normal way to ensure that a uniform standard of test is delivered. Talks with the Department of Finance and staff associations are being intensified by my officials with a view to securing agreement to a package of measures to address the backlog.

Mr. Connaughton

The Minister understated the position. There is chaos in the Department in Ballina. Thousands of young people are unable to drive to work because they are not legally entitled to drive a car. Their entitlements under the provisional licence are gone because they have used their two provisional licences and have applied to Ballina for a driving test in order to get the next provisional licence. What is the legal standing of the thousands of people involved if they are hauled in by the local garda on a driving charge?

Mr. Brennan

Every effort is being made to give such people a date which will allow them to apply for a licence. I hope they will not have to wait too long for that to happen.

Mr. Connaughton

What is too long?

Mr. Brennan

I have put in place an overtime package for the testers. Additional testers are being taken on from the retirement pool and there has been an agreement to work evenings and Saturdays. This will turn out about 40,000 extra tests per year. The system can at present turn out about 200,000 car tests annually while the backlog is 130,000. With the additional resources, a hole can quickly be put in the backlog. The extra applications have been made because of the announcement of my intention to tighten up in this area. I have not moved on that yet because my focus is to ensure that those who have applied for tests get them. I hope a hole can be made in the backlog as soon as possible.

The national waiting time at present is 23 weeks on average. It is significantly less in some places and more in others.

Mr. Connaughton

The Minister did not answer the question. What is the legal standing of those drivers waiting for the Ballina office to give them a date? Thousands of drivers are involved. Some have been waiting for seven or eight months and it is likely some will have to wait another four or five months. I do not think the Minister has grasped the seriousness of this situation.

Mr. Brennan

I am not sure whether it is I or the Deputy who has not grasped the seriousness of the situation. The situation is serious. I am being asked to interpret the law.

Mr. Connaughton

I do not expect the Minister to ask the Garda about it.

Mr. J. Bruton

What is the law?

Mr. Brennan

If drivers do not have a licence, they are driving illegally.

Mr. Connaughton

Then we have a major problem. The Minister must do something dramatic about this because it is not the fault of motorists. They applied on time but the office in Ballina cannot deliver because of a foul-up there. The Minister is being unfair to thousands of motorists.

Mr. J. Bruton

The Minister is like Marie Antoinette – they can eat cake.

Ms Shortall

They can take the bus.

Mr. Connaughton

The Minister has no answer. These drivers do not count.

Mr. Brennan

The Deputy should think about the issue about which he is talking. He will realise that the Government is doing the right things.

Ms Shortall

This is top of the head stuff.