Vol. 499 No. 1
671 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of persons given appointments for a driving test for each of the years since 1990; the number of persons who failed to turn up on the day; the number of persons who passed the test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1302/99]
Information in the form requested is only available from the year 1991 and is set out in the following table:–
|
Year |
Numberof TestAppointments |
Number ofpersons whodid not attendon the day |
NumberPassed |
|
1991 |
126,254 |
8,866 |
59,317 |
|
1992 |
106,374 |
6,243 |
50,983 |
|
1993 |
107,007 |
8,082 |
52,062 |
|
1994 |
99,400 |
8,087 |
47,951 |
|
1995 |
101,985 |
6,676 |
51,185 |
|
1996 |
112,930 |
7,122 |
57,840 |
|
1997 |
112,469 |
6,672 |
58,127 |
|
1998 |
109,062 |
6,408 |
56,824 |
672 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of applicants awaiting a driving test in each test centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1318/99]
701 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of people on waiting lists to take the driving test; the number of people on the waiting list at each of the driving test centres; the number of testers at each centre; the average waiting time for a driving test at each centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1582/99]
712 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is an eleven month delay for driving tests at the Tralee and Killarney centres; and the steps, if any, he is taking to alleviate this problem. [1782/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 672, 701 and 712 together.
Some 87,000 applicants are at present awaiting driving tests. Of these, approximately 18,000 have been given test appointments and a further 8,500 have indicated that they are not currently available to be tested. The national average waiting period for a driving test is now some 27 weeks. Average waiting periods have not been compiled for all individual test centres due to limitations in the IT systems involved.
As indicated in the reply to Question No. 264 of 24 November 1998 my Department is responding to this unsatisfactory situation by increasing the numbers and productivity of its driver testers. Saturday testing has been in place for some time and a further package of productivity measures has also been implemented. The service is also being augmented by the appointment of new driver testers on both a permanent and contract basis.
Information on the deployment of testers who are assigned to regions and not individual test centres and the numbers on the waiting list at each centre is set out in the following tables.
Assignment of Testers
|
Region |
Number of Testers Assigned |
|
West |
6 |
|
North West |
9 |
|
South West |
15 |
|
South East |
10 |
|
South Leinster |
15 |
|
North Leinster |
19 |
|
Centre |
Number of applicants awaiting test at 4 January, 1999 |
|
Athlone |
696 |
|
Ballina |
742 |
|
Birr |
774 |
|
Buncrana |
544 |
|
Carlow |
1,282 |
|
Castlebar |
1,592 |
|
Cavan |
1,377 |
|
Churchtown/Rathgar |
13,009 |
|
Carrick-on-Shannon |
839 |
|
Clifden |
237 |
|
Clonmel |
1,300 |
|
Cork |
6,161 |
|
Donegal |
970 |
|
Dundalk |
2,410 |
|
Dungarvan |
951 |
|
Ennis |
942 |
|
Finglas |
13,207 |
|
Galway |
2,275 |
|
Gorey |
1,191 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,431 |
|
Killarney |
1,590 |
|
Kilrush |
370 |
|
Letterkenny |
1,393 |
|
Limerick |
2,884 |
|
Longford |
845 |
|
Loughrea |
797 |
|
Mallow |
1,509 |
|
Monaghan |
991 |
|
Mullingar |
1,288 |
|
Newcastle West |
1,343 |
|
Naas |
3,660 |
|
Navan |
2,372 |
|
Nenagh |
557 |
|
Portlaoise |
930 |
|
Roscommon |
863 |
|
Shannon |
651 |
|
Skibbereen |
1,649 |
|
Sligo |
1,162 |
|
Thurles |
642 |
|
Tipperary |
593 |
|
Tralee |
1,696 |
|
Tuam |
778 |
|
Tullamore |
1,092 |
|
Waterford |
1,814 |
|
Wexford |
1,634 |
|
Wicklow |
1,764 |
|
Total |
86,796 |
