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TRANSPORT MINISTER EAMON Ryan has said the approval of 70 additional permanent driving testers will “really put a dent” in the driving test backlog.
This will bring the number of driving testers employed by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) on a permanent basis to 200.
These permanent positions follows the hiring of 75 driver testers on a temporary basis in March 2023 in response to issues that emerged following the COVID pandemic.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said that “following a period of observation and analysis of demands on the service, this sanction of permanent posts will help to ensure that the Driver Testing Service has a sufficient level of permanent testing capacity to meet demand today and in the coming years”.
It’s expected that the first trance of new testers will be trained and ready to work in March.
The Department spokesperson said customers will see improvements in waiting times following this and that the RSA expects to be able to meet service demand later next year as a result.
Applications will be accepted online and the RSA will also hold an open day for potential applicants in a Dublin Driving Test Centre on Saturday, 28 September.
The application period will run until Thursday, 10 October.
Minister Ryan said that while the RSA increased the number of Driver tests delivered this year by 30%, it’s “not been enough to meet the unprecedented demand driven by our continued growth as a country”.
He acknowledged that the current backlog “is not fair to learner drivers, particularly younger drivers who have been extremely patient”.
He said the 70 additional permanent driver testers will enable the RSA to “really put a dent in the backlog, addressing the issue of long waiting times and also allowing them to address the issue of multiple learner permits”.
Meanwhile, CEO of the RSA Sam Waide described it as a “very positive development” and noted that the “RSA has consistently highlighted the need for more permanent driver testers”.
“It will go a long way towards addressing the challenges we have experienced in meeting increases in demand for driving tests over the past two years,” said Waide, who added that the RSA’s analysis shows that “high demand levels for tests will continue over the coming years”.
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If thats the best the greens can come up with in an election year, its good bye to them.
@Colette Byrne: Imagine, he’s decided he will do it, but has so far did absolutely nothing about it, even tho it has been an issue for years. Did someone wake him up again?
@Patrick MC Dermott: he did do something about it.
“Driving test wait times have dropped from a peak of 30.4 weeks in August of 2023, with the deployment of additional driver testers having an impact.
The average wait time for a driving test nationally was 16.9 weeks at the end of February, while the average wait period for an NCT is 17.2 days.” from the examiner.
With the 75 new testers, times will drop even more. One of the biggest causes of backlog, according to testers, is people not showing up.
@Dermot Blaine: lies lies & statistics. As someone who’s in the motor trade I can tell you the NCT is a shambles and you producing figures that suggest otherwise is you drinking the coolaid. I have 2 adult children at home trying to get a driving test. Your figures do not represent their experience.
@Mic JHintl: Your personal experience doesn’t matter. Since NCT stats are calculated with all the appointment given for the NCT and the delays of those appointments. But maybe it’s too hard to comprehend for you? Statistics don’t lie, you can show them the way you want that’s about it.
How about putting a dent in the cost of driving lessons.
@Paddy Ryan: Let me break it down for you. Lesson Cost €45.00 of which €5.36 is VAT @ 13.5%. Another €4.80 per lesson for petrol. Car purchase and depreciation another €5.00 per lesson. Insurance, Tax and RSA Fees €0.65 per lesson. Fee to Driving School €3.60 per lesson. Maintenance on car €1.20 per lesson. That totals €20.61 per lesson in costs. €45.00 minus €20.61 Equals €24.39 Gross per lesson. And then calculate PRSI, Income Tax, USC etc. Not quite as lucrative as you might think.
@Ciaran De Bhal: I miscalculated the fee to the driving school of €8 NOT €3.60 as above. That makes the Gross to me just under €20.00 per lesson.
@Ciaran De Bhal: 12 mandatory lessons at 45 euro a go. Learner drivers are usually not flush with money. I’m not aiming this at instructors. The whole point was to make drivers better/safer when the road deaths are the highest they have ever been.
@Paddy Ryan: I have met some of these driving instructors and engaged them. They cannot drive safe themselves never mind teach safety.
@Paddy Ryan: Driving lessons are DIRT cheap in Ireland. Stop moan. Compare to other countries like France or Germany where they are good driving test (unlike Ireland) and it cost average 1500€ and often more.
This guy should never have been appointed minister of transport worst the country ever had totally incompetent pushing his own agenda
@Chris Whelan: he probably demanded it, and the environment folios as the price of Green Party support for the Coalition.
@Chris Whelan: of course he pushes his own agenda – what’s the point of having a political agenda if you don’t push it when you actually have the chance to?
@Chris Whelan: pushing his own agenda like he was elected to do? Shock horror
An utter fraud of a fellow
How long has he got left in the Transport Ministry?..but even party leader anymore!…how have he done in that Ministry?… lots of cycle lanes and increasing traffic faralities!…and the other two he holds not much better I’d guess…except implementing Carbon tax…totally laughable
@Spartacus Ireland: *fatalities should have put on the glasses ! :-)
If it was that simple why didn’t he do it this year?
Free bicycles?
I thought that gowl had retired.
Pity he can’t solve the school bus crisis, many kids with special needs have a bus ticket but no bus.
Bus Eireann forgot to send out the photo frame , as a bus ticket is not much use to a child when there’s no bus, gov can’t be bothered to solve the transport crisis, education crisis,health crisis, housing crisis, homeless crisis. Crisis after crisis . So done with this shambles of a so called gov.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought that when he stepped down as party leader, he also claimed that he was not going to run in the next election. Now, I know his stint as Minister for transport has not finished, but with an election on the horizon, he won’t get much of anything done in 2025
Latest poll has FFG + Greens on 51%. A comfortable win to continue in govt for the next five years. People are happy.
@9QRixo8H: only because we have no alternative. The opposition is worse than useless.
@Goo Eyes Delaney: the stats disagree, 51% are happy with them. Even you agree, a range of opposition parties are useless for you compared to Greens and FFG.
@William Slevin: well according to you, your 1% were speaking for 80% of the people on the streets. But in reality, the real world, they couldn’t even get one percent of votes in the recent local election. So continue to look forward to future elections the way you looked forward to trump2020 and trump2024. Burn. But not burn-a-building burn.
@9QRixo8H: No, we are not. Why do you say FFG + Greens?
F = Fianna Fail
F = Fine Geal
G = Green Party
I’m not sure who I’ll be voting for next time around, the way they are all dropping out like flies, but it will not be for any Green Party candidates
@Pat Barry: the FFG term was around before this govt term and it means FF and FG as one unit. Not what you suggest. As for not voting Greens, are you open for voting FFG? Again, signifying that people are content.
@9QRixo8H: Actually, no, it wasn’t. This government term was where it started. The first use of it came after the coalition formed the current government, and it was coined from the first initials of each party. There would have been no reason for the FFG term prior to this government’s time as never before had FF and FG entered government together.
Now, as to voting for either FF or FG, it would be highly unlikely given the current crew, but let’s see what new faces will show up due to the current desertions. Most likely, I will vote Independents but will need to see what they will be claiming to represent, as I will not be voting anyone spouting far right rubbish. I may possibly vote SF and give them a chance. After all, it can’t be any worse than what we have.
@Pat Barry: No, you are wrong, and if I have to embarrass you, then see this article prior to the Greens being in govt, where people often referred to FF+FG as FFG. https://jrnl.ie/4411662. To educate you on another point, vote for independents and you will get the same govt from 2016-2020 which was FFG and INDs.
@Pat Barry: Just this term, not the prevkous supply and confidence ageement, or at council level where Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens have teamed up for years, just a fact. Why Larkin left the party ge co-founded.
@Brian D’Arcy: Regardless, they still never entered Government together, and in my 60 years, not once have I heard of the term FFG until this coalition formed
@William Slevin: ohhh, backtracking of your support of the 1%. Do I have to root out an article for you too? The election will be as different as your trump2020 was different! As for your voting, after you vote for your 1%, who will you give a preference vote to for when they are eliminated?
@9QRixo8H: Try to embarrass me all you want, but you may want to read that link you posted first. I have read it twice, and nowhere in it are FF and FG referred to as FFG. It is an interview with Eamon O’Cuiv concerning the supply and confidence agreement between the 2 parties, which, by the way, did not make them a coalition at the time. It was an FG government. As I just explained to Brian, despite that agreement, both parties have never formed a government together until now, along with the Green Party to get them over the line. The full FFG
@9QRixo8H: Stats? they’re opinion polls .. lol. And such trust you place in them. ..
Weren’t you the lad banging on about the ’12%’ from some poll before the referendum for ages… ‘Paisleyites’ I believe you had taken to derisively calling them. Such confidence you had in them there polls lol.
You ended up with so much egg on your face after that, I thought you might learn your lesson.. yet here you are again citing polls as stats to base your commentary on.
@Pat Barry: go to the first comment on that article that existed way before the Greens were in power from 2020. People had been referring to FF and FG as FFG for many years.
@Brian: no no, they’re not opinion polls. His lot got LESS than 1% of votes in the recent local elections. They are results, facts, stats.
@9QRixo8H: Fair enough, I will admit to standing corrected to the term “FFG” in use prior to the current government, but not the widescale use you seem to be claiming for it to have prior to this coalition. Even in the comments you pointed out, it is only mentioned twice, where as every where else it is FF/FG.
As I have already told Brian D’arcy, in 60 years, I have never heard it until this coalition, and I’m pretty sure that would be the same for most people, and that most people believe the current term includes the Greens.
@D. Peadar:”Latest poll has FFG + Greens on 51%. A comfortable win to continue in govt for the next five years. People are happy….
the stats disagree, 51% are happy with them”
This is what I’m talking about.. opinion polls .. and your assured commentary around them.. Opinion polls are not verifiable facts or statistics.. as evidenced by the referendum.. which you conveniently side stepped ..lol
@Brian: ok I see, yes a 51% from the opinion poll “would be” a comfortable win if you want me to be politically correct. FFG had won the local elections. Who do you think will win the next GE other than FFG then?
@9QRixo8H: People who dislike the migration policies aren’t the 1% they are the majority. Most aren’t far right at all, just pragmatic, unlike you. I don’t vote far right, but still oppose to it. What’s your point exactly? That only far right has an issue with immigration? No, the majority of this country does, unlike people like you who just burry their head in the sand.
You won’t be around then Ryan you cabbage!
@Andrew Kenny: that’s what he said; people will benefit next year from appoints being made now
Who woke Eamonn up?
Sure ya will eamo….
You Seriously Can’t make this cow dung up!
Sure couldn’t we all just cycle Eamonn?
No doubt it will be a cyclist breaking a re light
Eamon Ryan did more damage to the Green agenda, he had massive opportunity to bring people with him & Irish people want to do their bit & understand Climate change, the Recycling rates & Recycling centers proved this. But instead his solution & that of the Greens was to impose Taxes & place hardship on people. There weren’t enough incentivizeed schemes for anything. If you were a working family on ordinary salaries, you couldn’t afford an EV or Retrofitting or Solar or PV panels, it was beyond reach & Green Loans are no good if your struggling with the bread & butter issues. The Hypocrisy shown by him & Catherine Martin in insisting on flying around the world in Business Class with entourages while lecturing everybody about their Carbon footprint was incredulous. Hypocrite.
@SV3tN8M4: I see you got the rest of your turf home this week.
As predictable as an asses gallop, this guy is so off key it’s astounding ER.
Eamon Ryan leaves a lot of unanswered questions, the demonization of the Farming & Rural Communities but then turning a blind eye to Aviation sector, Cement Plants & most especially Data Centers. We need to know why this man pushed for so many Data Centres (15 more in the pipeline & 40 in planning process) when it has pushed our National Grid to the point of collapse & blackout threats. Also, why pursue this agenda, when this sector will be responsible for blowing our Carbon Emissions targets, his raison d’etre. Why did he ask Minister & the CRU place the burden of updating the National Grid on ordinary Consumers who pay higher rates per kwh & subsidize these Global Multi Nationals owned by multi Billionaires, why weren’t they footing the bill. Lots of questions & no answers being given.
The only dent this man has made, is to the fabric of this country. Eamon Ryan’s legacy in politics is that when in power previously with Fianna Fail, they drove the country over the cliff edge destroying people’s lives & were responsible for the Austerity that lasted to this day. His & the Green Party’s current stint has destroyed the fabric of the country causing deep societal collapse & division in Communities. On top of that, he & his party are responsible for the cost of living crisis where working families are struggling with Rents, Energy, Fuel, GP services, Groceries, Car Insurance, Health Insurance, Broadband etc, many living month to month. Add in the collapse in our Public Services & infrastructural scandals from the NCH to the Bike shed. He abandoned the working Irish people.
Good news seeing that increase in permanent driving testers. Better than no change or a decrease, so I won’t grumble about this.
He’s arse has certainly put a dent in a seat in the Dail, the big sleepy Head on him!
More drivers, for the already overload road network. Welcome tho! I look forward to seeing your face in your phone from the boredom of endless traffic. Another 4 years of inaction slowly passes, its fine for the Greens, blissfully unaware, their electorate doesn’t need ‘jobs’ or live such dependant lives, for shame the masses cannot be as rich as is needed for a green existence. “why are they all so desperate to be on the road at 8am darling?” they laugh.
Can’t understand why driving lessons
and driving tests are not done on driving simulators. Once you pass a driving course on a simulator, where all kinds of real world scenarios can be built in, then you can drive on the road.
He will hold it up more as he wants no one driving . The wait for a test will soon be 30 years. Will be a great grandfather when you take the test. Ride your bicycle or horse to town Eamon the bollox says.
All the promises are spilling out lately, I wonder why?
No pun intended…
Funny headline!
The irony.
Really?
He’s up to his armpits in the blood of drivers killed because he refused to upgrade roads or sanction new motorways while transportation minister.
Hypocrite.
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