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The RSA says it is dealing with unprecedented demand for driving tests. Alamy Stock Photo

Five weeks shaved off driving test wait times this month, with further reduction promised

The pressure is on at the RSA to solve the driving test backlog.

FIVE WEEKS HAVE been shaved off average driving test waiting times since the start of the month, as the Road Safety Authority (RSA) responds to political pressure to reduce the backlog.

Brendan Walsh, who is in charge of driver testing at the RSA, told The Journal that by July the average wait should be down to 18 weeks, from 22 weeks as of yesterday and 27 weeks at the end of April.

“Come July, we would hope to start seeing really, really big decreases, starting at around 18 weeks and then driving on down,” Walsh said.

He added that staff have stepped up by working Saturdays and bank holidays to clear the backlog. Forty-one new testers have started work and 50 more will be in place by the end of the summer.

The government is pushing the RSA to hit a long-standing target that waiting times should average 10 weeks. The agency has been told to meet this goal by September.

The RSA published its plan to achieve this aim this morning. The RSA’s testing system is dealing with “unprecedented” demand for driving tests, with 100,000 currently wait to be tested.

Over 250,000 tests were completed by the agency last year, the highest number ever – but still not enough to clear the backlog.

Brendan-Walsh RSA chief operations officer Brendan Walsh RSA RSA

The RSA is opening more testing centres and expanding testing hours, with tests to run from 07:25am to 7pm going forward, it said today.

It said it will also use a targeted booking system so that areas with greatest demand will be allocated slots proportionally.

Work to deal with the testing backlog began almost a year ago, Walsh said.

The RSA sought government approval to recruit significantly more driving testers – equivalent to a 20% increase in the organisation’s headcount – last June. However, it took some time for this recruitment process, which was approved by government last September, to be completed.

Sam Waide, chief executive officer at the RSA, apologised this morning to those who have been waiting a long time to get tested.

“We know how frustrating and disruptive these delays are — especially for people who need a licence for work, college, or caring responsibilities,” Waide said in a statement.

The RSA will publish progress updates on wait times every fortnight on its website.

“We’re asking customers to support the effort by cancelling early if they cannot attend, so that appointments can be offered to others. Every cancelled slot that’s re-used helps us reduce the backlog faster,” said Waide.

“Also, we’re urging customers to ensure they prepared for their test as over 4,000 tests so far this year couldn’t be conducted for reasons such as vehicles without a valid NCT, Tax, Insurance or not deemed roadworthy.”

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    Mute Mary Linton
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    May 22nd 2025, 11:23 AM

    So …..18 weeks is something to be applauded / celebrated???? Time to bring in an external contractor …..increase the days work to say, 10hrs & wotlrk away at weekends / Sundays. A realistic feasible target should be a Month, 6 weeks tops. Clapping & back slapping for 18weeks is so typically ‘ Irish’

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    Mute Liam23
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    May 22nd 2025, 12:38 PM

    @Mary Linton: they hope to bring it down to 10 weeks within 6-12 months. Also could do with the 4000 who couldn’t don’t their test due to invalid NCT, Insurance, Tax etc using their brains a bit

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    Mute Jim
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    May 22nd 2025, 11:23 AM

    Comments not open on the SPHE article but the recurring problem of driving test backlogs? Fire away.

    The SPHE article is little more than the continuation of agnogenesis by the corrupt Irish government.

    The content has been proven to be in school libraries & the education developmental plan has it in there.

    The article states the Department of Education say the complaints were as a result of a “campaign” – so? Other types”campaigns” are fine but not this one?

    More denigrating of parents concerns & exhibits the complete distain the corrupt Irish government have for the majority of the Irish people.

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    Mute Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
    Favourite Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
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    May 22nd 2025, 11:24 AM

    @Jim: You’re the chemical castration case study, mate.

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    Mute Jim
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    May 22nd 2025, 11:24 AM

    @Jim: that makes the SPHE article little more than propaganda for the “Ministry of Truth”

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    Mute Jim
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    May 22nd 2025, 11:26 AM

    @Kylie More-Rode – Ballyer Drag Queen: coming from you, someone who is mostl likely a beneficiary of that process, I’ll take it as your mental health issues make you believe your comment is clever & valid

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    Mute Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
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    May 22nd 2025, 11:30 AM

    @Jim: If you have been affected by this story, call the helpline at 1-800-ARBRHILL. Get some help with your twisted resentments and character defects before you injure yourself!

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    Mute Jim
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    May 22nd 2025, 12:27 PM

    @Kylie More-Rode – Ballyer Drag Queen: you ok Hon?

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    Mute Liam23
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    May 22nd 2025, 12:38 PM

    @Jim: you’re great fun Jim

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    Mute Jim
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    May 22nd 2025, 12:48 PM

    @Liam23: I know, thanks

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    Mute Jack Dermody
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    May 22nd 2025, 11:22 AM

    Skibbereen Rugby got a big shout out….

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    Mute Jimmy Savage
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    May 22nd 2025, 1:05 PM

    Can confim, my test eta came forward 4 weeks

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    Mute Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
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    May 22nd 2025, 11:22 AM

    RSA is a joke. Why is Liz O’Donnell not called in and fired? Well got PD luvvie from SoCoDublin.

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    Mute Connor Savage
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    May 22nd 2025, 1:53 PM

    It’s not unprecedented demand. It’s an understaffed department with regular demand. But every department is the same. All badly dysfunctional pre-covid, staff culled and less people reinstated. Absolute joke.

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    Mute Sean Hayes
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    May 22nd 2025, 3:03 PM

    @Connor Savage: Agreed. We need to hire more public servants

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    Mute Mark R
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    May 22nd 2025, 4:50 PM

    How did they shave 5 weeks off the waiting list in 21 days? Have a load of testers working from home since Covid returned back to their office? Is there a system the likes of HSE and BAM can implement to improve productivity?

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    Mute Big Haus
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    May 22nd 2025, 1:18 PM

    Drogheda is the biggest town in Ireland and still no test center

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    Mute Felix Nzekwe II
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    May 24th 2025, 9:36 AM

    18 weeks is still a joke. Get back to me when it’s down to max 5 weeks

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