Clare Sinn Féin TD Donna McGettigan has slammed the government for she has described as ‘presiding over yet another increase in the driving test backlog’.
Deputy McGettigan was speaking ahead of a motion from Sinn Féin spokesperson on Transport, Pa Daly TD, calling on government to implement a suite of measures to address this crisis.
She said, through bad planning and mismanagement, successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-led governments had created a system that not fit for purpose.
Ms McGettigan added, “3,345 learner drivers are now languishing on waiting lists in Clare. That includes 1,186 in Ennis, 527 in Kilrush and 932 in Shannon, where I’m told not a single test was done in January. Shannon has a population of over 10,000 people but has no test centre. Testers come in from other areas and meet learners in hotel carparks. In Kilrush they meet in the Golf club carpark, it’s a shambles.”
“The average waiting time to take a test is now well above the statutory maximum of 10 weeks, with many people waiting five months to take the test and others over eight months. Tests are often deferred despite the time and effort learners have put into preparing.”
“This is totally unacceptable. These delays cause great frustration in our community. They push up the costs of learning to drive and trap learner drivers in expensive insurance policies. For some, learning to drive now costs over €3000 euro”, she said.
“People who need a full licence for a job cannot wait for months, without even being able to give a potential employer a firm date as to when they will sit the test. The backlog even leads to disruptions in other vital services, as students or workers who rely on their licence are waiting in limbo. For example, there have been delays to the recruitment of Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus drivers as well as to paramedics as they require a licence to start their course.”
“There are simply not enough permanent driving instructors. The government has completely failed to keep pace with increasing demand. They quote the number of learners who have sat their tests, but they ignore the fact that more people are joining the waiting list then are leaving it”.
“This must change. Sinn Féin has developed a suite of measures to address these unacceptable delays.”
“In our Dáil motion this week, I spoke about the dire situation in Clare and called on the government to match the increased demand for driving tests with appropriate resources. This means ending the over-reliance on temporary driving instructors and expediting the recruitment of permanent instructors.”
“The unsatisfactory performance of the Road Safety Authority can’t be ignored in all of these. Therefore, we are calling for an urgent review of the mandate, resourcing and programme of work.”
“Finally, the government must once and for all identify all the gaps in driving test centre locations and mandate the RSA and the OPW to fill them. The deepening crisis requires the political will, ambition and resourcing to solve it.”
“Just like the crisis in housing, healthcare and the cost of living, more of the same from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will only make matters worse”, Deputy McGettigan concluded