Driving Tests.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2006

Tuesday, 7 March 2006

Questions (56, 57, 58)

Gerard Murphy

Question:

77 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Transport when the initiative to reduce the backlog of people awaiting a driving test will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9087/06]

Seán Crowe

Question:

101 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the waiting time per area for people wishing to sit their driving test; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties this is creating for drivers particularly in areas of high unemployment and poor public transport; and the new steps or measures he proposes to introduce in particular relevance to these areas of social and economic deprivation. [9199/06]

Willie Penrose

Question:

125 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Transport his proposals to reduce waiting times for the driving test. [9183/06]

Written answers

Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 77, 101 and 125 together.

I refer the Deputies to my reply to Question No. 113, which I answered in the House on 1 February 2006.

As I have already indicated, the delay in providing driving tests is a matter of regret to me. I believe it not only represents a poor service to the public but it is also hampering the development of initiatives which I wish to pursue and which will contribute further to road safety. The driving test and those who deliver it are a key element in the road safety strategy.

It is my objective to eliminate the backlog of driving tests by mid-2007 and my Department has developed a package of measures in consultation with staff interests to achieve this. Additional staff have been made available to the driving test service. Seven additional testers are currently being trained and will be carrying out tests from April onwards. A recruitment campaign has been completed and a further ten persons will commence training shortly and will be available for testing this June.

I am pleased to acknowledge that a very high number of the existing driver testers have indicated that they will participate in a bonus scheme which will make a significant contribution to the reduction of the backlog. Some 90 driver testers have, by way of additional Saturday and evening working, committed to deliver some 30,000 tests over a one year period. This scheme commenced in February and will make a significant contribution to the backlog.

My Department is currently awaiting the outcome of an arbitration hearing on the use of outsourcing which could make a vital and significant additional contribution to the backlog.

My Department is still in a position to offer early tests to those applicants requiring an urgent test, once they provide satisfactory documentary evidence of the reason they require it.

Information on driving test waiting times is set out in the following table.

Driving Test Applicants on waiting list — 27/02/06

Centre	Average Weeks Waiting
North Leinster
Finglas	29
Dundalk	33
Mullingar	21
Navan	41
Raheny	37
South Leinster
Churchtown	33
Gorey	46
Naas	34
Tullamore	40
Wicklow	41
Tallaght	35
West
Athlone	26
Birr	33
Castlebar	25
Clifden	22
Ennis	27
Galway	37
Loughrea	28
Roscommon	29
Tuam	32
South East
Carlow	37
Clonmel	40
Dungarvan	47
Kilkenny	25
Nenagh	34
Portlaoise	25
Thurles	41
Tipperary	43
Waterford	31
Wexford	29
South West
Cork	29
Killarney	35
Kilrush	33
Limerick	44
Mallow	36
Newcastle West	30
Shannon	44
Skibbereen	37
Tralee	21
North West
Ballina	29
Buncrana	21
Carrick-on-Shannon	26
Cavan	28
Donegal	41
Letterkenny	34
Longford	26
Monaghan	23
Sligo	25