The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has urged a “root and branch review” of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and how it manages the driving test system, reports RTE.
The average driving test waiting time has jumped by 18 weeks over the past five years.
In its 2019 annual report, the RSA noted a six-week average wait time. That figure has now climbed to a national average of 24.1 weeks, according to updated RSA data.
There were 378,652 learner drivers across Ireland as of the end of March this year, compared to 233,025 at the close of 2019—a rise of 63%, reports RTE.
IRHA President Ger Hyland believes this surge in learner drivers stems from “mismanagement of the driving test regime”.
According to the IRHA, these statistics align with recent garda reports showing a rise in learner drivers being caught driving without supervision, reports RTE.
In 2023, gardaà issued 10,552 fixed penalty notices to unaccompanied learner drivers.
Data for 2024 also shows the northwestern garda region has seen a consistent quarter-by-quarter increase in such offences.
Mr Hyland claims the “inadequate and backlogged testing regime” is pushing young drivers to operate vehicles without full licences or supervising drivers, reports RTE.
He stressed that his organisation does not support learners driving without a fully qualified accompanying driver.
He said the growing number of “learner drivers caught driving unaccompanied… is just the tip of the iceberg”, reports RTE.
Mr Hyland also pointed out that test delays—now exceeding six months—are affecting students and young workers in particular.
An RSA spokesperson responded that the testing service has seen “unprecedented demand in recent years with the number of applications for a driving test increasing significantly since 2021”, reports RTE.
In 2024, the RSA conducted 253,850 driving tests—up from 196,853 the previous year.
They credited this output to the commitment of testing staff, who worked considerable overtime, and operational efficiency improvements, reports RTE.
A campaign to recruit new driver testers began in September 2024, with the aim of increasing the number of sanctioned permanent testers from 130 to 200.
By the end of February, the RSA had 144 permanent testers, including 28 who succeeded in an open competition.
An additional 13 testers are finishing their training and will be deployed to high-demand areas in Dublin and Cork by the end of April, reports RTE.
More training sessions are planned between next month and October.
The RSA expects to have 200 testers employed by November.
The organisation forecasts that waiting times will drop significantly as these new hires enter the system, reports RTE.
Responsibility for managing the driver testing service lies with the RSA under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said they have supported the RSA’s response to increasing demand by approving additional staffing in recent years.
In September 2024, 70 more driver testers were sanctioned on a permanent basis, reports RTE.
The spokesperson said: “With a sanctioned headcount of 200 today, there has been a doubling of staff sanction in just over two years, reflecting the department’s commitment to addressing this issue,” reports RTE.
This staff increase came with the requirement for the RSA to create a plan to return to a ten-week average waiting time as quickly as possible.
In February 2023, the RSA asked the department for 40 to 75 temporary testers to meet short-term demand, reports RTE.
The Department granted all 75 temporary posts in March 2023.
This temporary approval allowed time to assess long-term staffing needs while managing post-COVID disruptions and brought average waiting times down from 30 to 15 weeks between August 2023 and April 2024, reports RTE.
The department spokesperson noted: “While waiting times have since increased as testers have left the service for a variety of reasons, the RSA is confident that the permanent positions now on offer will attract and retain more testers,” reports RTE.
A driver tester recruitment competition held from September to mid-October 2024 received 1,400 initial applications.
Over 155 candidates passed all stages and joined a panel from which the RSA is now hiring new testers. Employment offers have been made to the first selected candidates.
Separately, the department said it remains committed to tackling the issue of learner drivers repeatedly renewing learner permits, reports RTE.
New legislation is being prepared to limit learners to four successive permits before restarting the process.
This would involve retaking the theory test, obtaining a learner permit, completing 12 essential lessons, and passing the practical test.
The spokesperson said: “It is not possible to give a timeline for implementation at this point, as the legislation must be in place,” reports RTE.
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