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Driver Test

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021

Wednesday, 31 March 2021

Questions (290)

Holly Cairns

Question:

290. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport if he will address a situation in which a person (details supplied) is waiting over nine months for a driver theory test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16988/21]

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Written answers

I can assure you that the Department is very aware of the challenges facing the RSA and its contract provider as they work hard to further manage the backlog in the Driver Theory Testing Service. The Driver Theory Test has not been deemed to be an essential service under Level 5 restrictions. The service will remain closed while level 5 restrictions remain in place. While I fully appreciate the inconvenience this poses, I must emphasise, that this decision has been taken in line with official public health recommendations that everyone in Ireland work to limit the spread of the virus by staying at home in so far as is possible and minimising social contacts.

Theory tests were first suspended due to Covid-19, in March 2020. The service resumed, on a gradual basis, in mid-June. When operations resumed, there was inevitably an increased level of demand due to the consequent backlog. Unfortunately, due to social distancing and other public health and hygiene requirements, service capacity was considerably reduced and customers experienced longer waiting times.

Level 5 restrictions took effect again for six weeks from 22 October 2020 to the 01 December andwere re-instated again from the end of December. The service will remain closed while we remain in level 5.

The RSA is engaging with its service provider to examine ways of increasing the number of tests within the current health constraints for when services resume. In this regard, the aim is to double capacity at test centres over a three-month period. Subject to decisions on future Covid 19 restrictions, this will mean that additional capacity would be made available in April, May and June 2021.

Normal capacity before the pandemic was approximately 15,000 tests per month. When the service reopened in June 2020, this was increased to 25,000 to deal with the backlog which had developed by that point. Based on the capacity of 25,000 tests per month, the aim is to provide an additional 25,000 tests per month on top of this for the first 3 months of reopening, or a total of 75,000 extra test appointments over the three-month period. This would make substantial inroads into numbers waiting over that time period.

In addition to the increased capacity initiative, the RSA is working to deliver an online driver theory test service. The online service has been trialled on a pilot basis for those taking a theory test for trucks and buses and is now being evaluated with a view to extending the online service to all test types during 2021 However, scaling up operations to facilitate higher numbers will take time to achieve.

As you can appreciate, the first priority has to be public safety – we want to provide services, and we know that people are looking for services, but services can only be provided to the limit possible while preserving public health.

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