Paul Murphy: Calls 24-Week Driving Test Delays 'Sick Joke'
Paul Murphy criticised extended driving test waiting times, saying they far exceed the 10-week target and leave people unable to work or care for families. He demanded accelerated recruitment of testers and urged roll-out of free, frequent public transport to reduce dependence on driving.
The speaker highlighted that the official target of 10 weeks is not being met. He said the average waiting time was 15 weeks a year ago, rose to 21 weeks, and is now about 23 or 24 weeks, with some areas reported at 35 to 43 weeks.
He cited individual cases to illustrate the backlog - one person who applied in November 2024 was told to expect an invitation to book in the week commencing 15 September 2025, and another who completed 12 lessons was given an estimated test date of 12 January 2026 after applying months earlier.
Paul Murphy argued the core problem is insufficient testers, saying "we're paying the price for no testers being recruited last year." He acknowledged an increase in testers this year as welcome but said recruitment needs to be ramped up further.
He also called for reduced reliance on driving by improving public transport. He urged action on 'ghost buses' and the roll-out of free, frequent, accessible public transport so people are not forced to depend on delayed driving tests.
Waiting time statistics
The speaker highlighted that the official target of 10 weeks is not being met. He said the average waiting time was 15 weeks a year ago, rose to 21 weeks, and is now about 23 or 24 weeks, with some areas reported at 35 to 43 weeks.
Constituent cases and delays
He cited individual cases to illustrate the backlog - one person who applied in November 2024 was told to expect an invitation to book in the week commencing 15 September 2025, and another who completed 12 lessons was given an estimated test date of 12 January 2026 after applying months earlier.
Cause identified - lack of testers
Paul Murphy argued the core problem is insufficient testers, saying "we're paying the price for no testers being recruited last year." He acknowledged an increase in testers this year as welcome but said recruitment needs to be ramped up further.
Public transport alternative and policy recommendation
He also called for reduced reliance on driving by improving public transport. He urged action on 'ghost buses' and the roll-out of free, frequent, accessible public transport so people are not forced to depend on delayed driving tests.
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Transcript
Yeah, the target of 10 weeks waiting time is a pretty sick joke for those who are waiting months to get driving tests that they absolutely need to be able to get around, to do their jobs, to collect their kids, all the things that for many people driving is essential in this country as it currently is. And what has happened is that a year ago the average waiting time was actually 15 weeks, not the target of 10 weeks in January. The average waiting time was 21 weeks and the average waiting time right now is about 23 or 24 weeks. Tala is reported as the worst in all of Ireland, having hit 35 to 43 weeks. And I've been contacted by many constituents pulling their hair out, saying, what am I meant to do when I'm waiting almost a year for a driving test? One person contacted me and they said they applied in November 2024. And he was told he should, quote, expect to receive his invitation to book his test week commencing the 15th of September 2025. It's 2026. So he applied in November 2020, sorry, he applied in November 2024, and then he was told he would get it in September 2025, almost an entire year later. Another told me just this month, I've accepted the many blockers put in front of me without any assistance from the state due to my level of income. I've completed the 12 lessons and now I've been provided an estimated driving test date of the 12th of January 2026, over eight months after he applied. I mean, the fundamental issue here is about testers. We're paying the price for no testers being recruited last year. Yes, there is an increase in testers this year. That's welcome. But that needs to be ramped up. I just finished on the point that in addition to this, we need to not be forcing people to drive. We need to be offering public transport. We need to deal with the ghost buses. We need to roll out free, frequent, accessible public transport to people so people aren't so reliant on having to drive.