Michael Collins presses for solutions to driving test backlog
Michael Collins raised the issue of a severe backlog in driving tests that is leaving many, mostly young people, waiting ten months or more. He urged immediate measures, including temporarily converting driving instructors into testers, and asked if the Government has a long-term strategy to prevent such backlogs.
Many constituents have contacted his office seeking help to expedite driving tests. These are mostly young people who are reported to be unable to accept job offers because they lack transport in rural Ireland, where frequent bus services and readily available taxis are not an option and parental schedules limit logistical support.
He suggested converting driving instructors into testers temporarily as a feasible solution to reduce waiting times. He framed this as an immediate, practical measure to help young people access employment and daily life needs while longer-term plans are developed.
A respondent thanked Deputy Collins for raising the issue and said the Minister would be asked to respond. The respondent acknowledged there is a real issue and noted commitments to restore waiting times to around ten weeks.
At the end of 2024 the RSA was providing a monthly average of about 19,111 test slots, up from about 18,300 the previous year. The respondent said the target wait time is about ten weeks but reported estimated waits of up to 22 weeks in many parts of the country.
The Department conveyed sanctions for 70 additional driver testing posts on a permanent basis, bringing the permanent sanction to 200, described as a doubling of the number of posts since 2022. Recruitment for extra testers is said to be underway, with about 300 applicants brought through to the final assessment stage.
Constituents stranded in rural areas
Many constituents have contacted his office seeking help to expedite driving tests. These are mostly young people who are reported to be unable to accept job offers because they lack transport in rural Ireland, where frequent bus services and readily available taxis are not an option and parental schedules limit logistical support.
Proposed short-term fix
He suggested converting driving instructors into testers temporarily as a feasible solution to reduce waiting times. He framed this as an immediate, practical measure to help young people access employment and daily life needs while longer-term plans are developed.
Official acknowledgement and next steps
A respondent thanked Deputy Collins for raising the issue and said the Minister would be asked to respond. The respondent acknowledged there is a real issue and noted commitments to restore waiting times to around ten weeks.
Current testing capacity and waiting times
At the end of 2024 the RSA was providing a monthly average of about 19,111 test slots, up from about 18,300 the previous year. The respondent said the target wait time is about ten weeks but reported estimated waits of up to 22 weeks in many parts of the country.
Recruitment and staffing measures
The Department conveyed sanctions for 70 additional driver testing posts on a permanent basis, bringing the permanent sanction to 200, described as a doubling of the number of posts since 2022. Recruitment for extra testers is said to be underway, with about 300 applicants brought through to the final assessment stage.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy: Condemns Taoiseach's White House Meeting with Trump
Richard Boyd Barrett
Richard Boyd Barrett: Shock at 67,000 Young Carers, Calls Action
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan to introduce bill banning energy drinks for under 18s
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy: Urges State to Recognise Young Carers' Rights
Carol Nolan
Carol Nolan: 932 waiting for home care in CHO Area 8
Rose Conway-Walsh
Rose Conway-Walsh: Exposes billing errors and aid scheme failures
Transcript
My office has been inundated with requests of constituents seeking assistance in expediting their driving tests. These, mostly young people, are waiting now 10 months or more for a driving test. Many of these are securing job offers but are unable to accept them due to the lack of transportation in rural Ireland. We do not have the frequent bus service, the loose or readily available taxis as in urban areas. Our young people are effectively stranded without access to a car and their parents' work schedules often do not allow for logistical support. We were informed that additional testers would be deployed, yet I am unaware of any new testers in Skibbereen West Cork. Perhaps this is a solution to the matter. We could consider converting driving instructors into testers temporarily. Surely this is a feasible solution, or does this Government have a long-term strategy that is being considered to prevent such backlogs from occurring in the future? Immediate and effective measures are required to address this backlog and support for our constituents in their daily lives, honestly. I want to thank Deputy Collins for raising this issue and indeed for the interesting suggestion that he makes. I will ask the Minister to respond to it. There is a real issue here, there is no doubt about it. At the end of 2024, the good news, I suppose, is that the RSA is now providing a monthly average of about 19,111 test slots, and that is up from a monthly average the previous year of about 18,300, but let us not fool ourselves. I fully accept there is a real challenge here. The wait time is meant to be in around ten weeks, that is the kind of commitment they have given, and it is not anything like that for many parts of the country, 22 weeks is what I am hearing in terms of an estimated time for many people, and of course that is an average. The good news is that we are in the process of trying to employ those extra testers, and my understanding is that the Department did convey sanctions for 70 additional driver testing posts on a permanent basis, which has been the permanent sanction to 200. That is a doubling of the number of posts since 2022. The RSA has been asked as a quid pro quo to put in plan a place to submit to government to restore waiting times to ten weeks. I am told that recruitment is underway in relation to those extra testers. I am told that there is about 300 applicants that have been brought through to the final assessment stage. Thank you, Thomas.