Learner drivers in Clare are being left behind as waiting times for driving tests continue to climb, despite commitments from the Road Safety Authority under its latest Action Plan.
Figures provided to Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney show that average waiting times for Category B car test invitations have increased at all three driving test centres in Clare between June 2024 and June 2025. In Ennis, waiting times rose from 14 weeks to 21 weeks. In Shannon, the average increased from 12 weeks to 17 weeks. In Kilrush, it went from 13 weeks to 14 weeks.
Deputy Cooney said the figures confirm that learner drivers in Clare are being short-changed and that the RSA’s delivery is falling far short of what was promised in May. The RSA’s Action Plan, which came into effect on 22 May 2025, committed to expanding testing hours to include weekday evenings, Saturdays and bank holidays, with test slots running from 7.25am to 7.00pm.
However, according to data supplied to Deputy Cooney, only one bank holiday weekend saw testing take place in Clare between 22 May and 9 July. This occurred at the Kilrush centre. Only three Saturdays saw any test activity, all of which took place in Shannon.
During the same period, Shannon operated on 23 of a possible 42 working days. Ennis operated on 29 days, while Kilrush was active on just 13 days during the same period.
A total of 600 driving tests were carried out across the county during this time. This included 332 in Ennis, 188 in Shannon and 80 in Kilrush. Based on the average number of tests conducted per day at each centre, which was 11 in Ennis, 8 in Shannon and 6 in Kilrush, Deputy Cooney said the missed operating days could have allowed for an additional 469 tests.
He said this shortfall represents hundreds of missed opportunities for learners in Clare and called on the Minister to intervene.
In a Parliamentary Question, Deputy Cooney also asked the Minister for a breakdown of the number of tests carried out by date and category since the Action Plan came into effect. He also requested figures on how many people are currently waiting for tests in other licence categories, including car and trailer (BE), small truck or van (C1), and truck (C). He asked how many testers are currently assigned to the county.
The response confirmed that only two driver testers assigned to Clare are qualified to carry out BE, C1 and C tests. None are permanently based in the county. While the RSA stated that testers can be moved between centres to meet demand, Deputy Cooney said this is not addressing the scale of the backlog.
Figures show that the number of applicants waiting for BE, C1 and C tests in Clare rose from 71 in January 2025 to 82 in June.
Deputy Cooney said the growing delays are having real consequences for people in rural areas who rely on full licences to access jobs, apprenticeships and further education. He pointed to one young woman in Clare who applied for her test in March and has been told she may not get an appointment until October or November.
He called on the RSA to increase staffing in Clare and ensure test centres operate to full capacity. He also urged the Minister to oversee delivery of the RSA’s Action Plan and ensure that Clare learners are not left behind.