According to Sinn Féin spokesperson Pa Daly, there are presently 72,000 trainee drivers awaiting their test, and the party has urged the government to address the backlog, reports RTE.
The average wait period for a test is now more than the statutory maximum of ten weeks, he added, with many patients waiting six months and others more than eight months.
“These delays cause great frustration in communities,” Mr Daly stated, reports RTE.
“They increase the price of learning to drive and entice inexperienced drivers to purchase pricey insurance plans. Learning to drive now costs more than €3,000 for some people, reports RTE.
Additionally, he said that the government was not keeping up with the rising demand.
Mr. Daly went on to say that an accelerated hiring procedure for permanent teachers is necessary to eliminate the excessive reliance on temporary driving instructors,
“In all of these, it is impossible to overlook the Road Safety Authority’s subpar performance. As a result, we are demanding an immediate assessment of the work program, resources, and mission,” Mr. Daly stated, reports RTE.
He urged the government to determine the locations of all the driving test centre gaps and order the RSA and the Office of Public Works to close them.
A retake of the theory exam should be required for anybody renewing their driver’s license, according to Labour’s transport spokeswoman, reports RTE.
There is undoubtedly a need for driving refresher classes, according to Ciarán Ahern.
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Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien informed the Dáil that he would not oppose the Sinn Féin motion because he found the delays intolerable.
He stated that the RSA was in charge of conducting driving tests, but he would cooperate with them, reports RTE.
According to Mr. O’Brien, 2024 was the busiest year for testing ever, with 250,000 tests delivered and 275,000 requests.
He stated that the government had approved the hiring of more testers, reports RTE.
According to the minister, the RSA was also attempting to open additional facilities in regions where waiting lists were the longest.
Jennifer Whitmore, TD for Social Democrats, stated that the RSA should be held accountable and subject to penalties for failing to fulfil its responsibilities under the service level agreement, reports RTE.
In the event that it is not supplied within the allotted ten weeks, she proposed that the RSA be required to offer a test at no cost.
Last month, about 18,500 driving exams were administered nationwide, reports RTE.
The average pass percentage nationwide was 53.3%, according to data from the Central Statistics Office.
A thorough analysis of the data reveals a significant difference in the pass and failure percentages among the 68 test locations across the nation.
Charlestown in Dublin had the lowest pass percentage in the nation at 31.5%, closely followed by Nenagh in County Tipperary at 31.9% and Carlow at 37.5%, reports RTE.
Tallaght (40.8%), Newcastle West (39.1%), and Dublin’s Killester (38.9%) were among the other centres with poor pass rates, reports RTE.
According to the data, Thurles, County Tipperary, has the highest pass rate in the nation at 74.4%, followed by Monaghan at 72.4%, Kilrush in County Clare at 66.1%, and Birr, County Offaly, at 63.1%.
Longford (58.6%), Gorey, Co. Wexford (62.4%), and Clifden, Co. Galway (65.4%) are other places with high percentage pass rates, reports RTE.
In 2024, 253,850 driving exams were scheduled in Ireland, which is 41,325 higher than in 2023.
Last year, the average pass rate nationwide was 51.6%, reports RTE.
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