Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
92. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport if and when a driving test appointment will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39968/23]
View answerUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driving Test service. Consequently, neither I nor my Department have the power to intervene in individual cases.
On the broader issue of delays, the service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand, which has increased by 28% compared with 2021 figures. In response to these pressures, the Authority reviewed the capacity of the driver testing service and, following a request for additional resources, my Department gave approval for the recruitment of up to 75 additional driver testers. This brings the total number of sanctioned driver tester posts to just over 200.
This recruitment is well underway and being managed by the Authority. However, a recruitment campaign of this size takes time. It is expected that once these additional driver testers are trained and deployed, the backlog for driver testing services will be actively managed such that wait times begin to decline and agreed service levels ultimately resume. I have been advised by the Authority that the first newly recruited testers should be deployed in late September.
The additional driver testers will be deployed across the driver testing service with a focus on the geographical areas with the longest waiting times and highest demand for tests.
