Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
256. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport what actions his Department is taking, in conjunction with the RSA to address the ongoing difficulties in getting driving test appointments, in particular for re-test appointments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35144/23]
View answerWhile the operation of the National Driving Test Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), I understand that in terms of re-tests, where someone is unsuccessful at their driving test and reapplies, the RSA fast-track their application and send them a new invitation to book a test 6-8 weeks after their unsuccessful attempt to originally pass their test. However, presently, there are some locations where this is longer the case. Once the invitation is sent it is the same as with a first-time test and the applicant can choose any available slot.
On the matter of the steps being taken to reduce driving test waiting times I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department is working closely with the Authority on addressing driver testing waiting times, which is an issue of great concern across the state. The service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand, which is up 28% on 2021 figures.
The RSA has reviewed the capacity of the driver testing service to meet demand and following a request for additional resources in March 2023, my Department gave approval for the recruitment of up to 75 additional driver testers.
It is expected that once these additional driver testers are recruited, trained, and deployed, the backlog for driver testing services will start to reduce from October 2023 and agreed service levels should resume by early to mid-2024. The additional testers will be assigned to fill current vacancies and otherwise allocated to centres with the highest demand for tests. The recruitment process by the RSA is currently well under way.
