Vol. 518 No. 3
200 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the numbers awaiting driving tests in the respective centres; the average waiting time; the measures, if any, he will introduce to alleviate the waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11390/00]
The numbers awaiting a driving test and the longest waiting time at each of the driving test centres on 27 March 2000 are set out in the following table. The average waiting times for each centre are not compiled due to limitations in the IT systems involved.
In 1999 an all time record of 154,000 test applications were made to my Department, compared to 118,000 applications in 1997. Applications for the early part of this year are running at 15% above the numbers received in the equivalent period in 1999.
Very significant additional resources have been allocated to the driver testing service, which now numbers 101 testers compared to 66 in 1998. Together with productivity agreements and Saturday working, this has increased the testing capacity of the service to some 200,000 tests annually. Two new test centres have been provided in Tallaght and Raheny and the question of recruitment of further testers is under review.
As indicated in reply to previous questions, I am determined to promote improvement of the driving test service and to end present excessive and unacceptable waiting times.
|
Test Centre |
Applicantsawaiting test |
Longest waitingperiod (weeks) |
|
Nth. Leinster Region |
||
|
Finglas/Raheny |
13,779 |
46 |
|
Dundalk |
1,777 |
15 |
|
Mullingar |
1,112 |
24 |
|
Navan |
2,005 |
18 |
|
Sth Leinster Region |
||
|
Churchtown/Rathgar/Tallaght |
12,816 |
41 |
|
Gorey |
1,106 |
19 |
|
Naas |
3,881 |
37 |
|
Tullamore |
1,045 |
14 |
|
Wicklow |
1,436 |
23 |
|
West Region |
||
|
Athlone |
832 |
25 |
|
Birr |
866 |
27 |
|
Castlebar |
1,988 |
37 |
|
Clifden |
300 |
29 |
|
Ennis |
977 |
22 |
|
Galway |
2,502 |
30 |
|
Loughrea |
890 |
25 |
|
Roscommon |
966 |
31 |
|
Tuam |
850 |
30 |
|
Nth. West Region |
||
|
Ballina |
793 |
24 |
|
Buncrana |
457 |
20 |
|
Carrick-on-Shannon |
918 |
21 |
|
Test Centre |
Applicantsawaiting test |
Longest waitingperiod (weeks) |
|
Cavan |
1,185 |
23 |
|
Donegal |
806 |
22 |
|
Letterkenny |
1,651 |
36 |
|
Longford |
869 |
25 |
|
Monaghan |
964 |
22 |
|
Sligo |
1,274 |
24 |
|
Sth. East Region |
||
|
Carlow |
1,270 |
25 |
|
Clonmel |
1,324 |
30 |
|
Dungarvan |
955 |
30 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,586 |
37 |
|
Nenagh |
529 |
29 |
|
Portlaoise |
870 |
22 |
|
Thurles |
747 |
30 |
|
Tipperary |
712 |
29 |
|
Waterford |
1,835 |
26 |
|
Wexford |
2,025 |
37 |
|
Sth. West Region |
||
|
Cork |
7,970 |
46 |
|
Killarney |
1,666 |
36 |
|
Kilrush |
443 |
37 |
|
Limerick |
3,328 |
35 |
|
Mallow |
1,859 |
40 |
|
Newcastle West |
1,578 |
44 |
|
Shannon |
789 |
42 |
|
Skibereen |
1,783 |
42 |
|
Tralee |
1,812 |
37 |
