Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Driving Tests.

Willie Penrose

Ceist:

80 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the average waiting time for driving tests at each testing centre at the latest date for which figures are available; the average waiting time nationally; the number of centres at which the target of a ten week waiting period has been met; when it is expected that the target waiting time will be met nationally; if he is considering plans for the establishment of a new agency to oversee driving tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26695/01]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy):

The average waiting times for driving tests at each testing centre, as at 2 November 2001, are set out in the following table. The average waiting time for a test nationally is 14 weeks compared to 21 weeks this time last year. The target of ten weeks average waiting has been met at six of our test centres with an average waiting time of 15 weeks or less being achieved at 32 out of 49 test centres nationally.

An additional 11 driver testers are in training and will be assigned to centres with the longest waiting times shortly. I anticipate that we will be at or close to our ten week target waiting time by the end of this year. The numbers on the waiting list have continued to reduce and are now 59,300 compared to 79,400 a year ago. This has been achieved despite a further 10% increase in applications in 2001 compared to the record 167,300 applications received in 2000.

A review of the driver testing service was carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The Government decided on 18 July 2001 to accept the recommendation of the PWC report that a public sector agency be established to deliver the driver testing service. Preliminary work has already commenced in my Department to progress implementation of this Government decision.

Average Weeks Waiting on 2/11/2001

Test Centre	Average Weeks Waiting
North Leinster
Finglas	8
Raheny	10
Navan	16
Mullingar	10
Dundalk	13
South Leinster
Churchtown	12
Tallaght	15
Rathgar	12
Wicklow	13
Naas	13
Gorey	13
Tullamore	11
South East
Carlow	12
Clonmel	10
Wexford	11
Kilkenny	11
Nenagh	16
Tipperary	11
Thurles	11
Portlaoise	12
Waterford	15
Dungarvan	13
West
Athlone	6
Birr	13
Castlebar	17
Clifden	25
Ennis	9
Galway	18
Loughrea	23
Roscommon	24
Tuam	19
North West
Ballina	17
Longford	21
Carrick-on-Shannon	18
Cavan	16
Donegal	21
Buncrana	17
Letterkenny	12
Monaghan	15
Sligo	20
South West
Cork	12
Mallow	11
Skibbereen	15
Tralee	15
Killarney	11
Newcastlewest	12
Limerick	13
Shannon	20
Kilrush	16