Driving Test centres are still backed up around the country with over 900 people waiting for a driving test in Galway alone.
The average time in Galway that people have to wait more than ten weeks before they can see an instructor to sit their test.
Galway-Roscommon TD Eugene Murphy revealed figures from the Road Safety Authority which show that there are more than 45,000 waiting to sit their test at a driving centre nationwide.
“These type of waiting lists and waiting periods are simply unacceptable as many people are left in limbo land for up to three and four months,” said Deputy Murphy.
In Roscommon, he pointed out, there are 331 people who are facing an average wait of 11.5 weeks before they’ll be seen by the county’s only instructor.
Sligo has 599 people on a waiting list, Longford 300, and their are 435 people waiting for their driving test in Leitrim.
And it looks like they could have to go on waiting a good while longer.
“Alarmingly it has also emerged that there is currently no driver tester in County Leitrim which is simply not good enough.” Deputy Murphy said.
The Fiana Fáil TD received this RSA data from Minister for Transport, Trade, and Tourism Shane Ross in response to a parliamentary question
Being forced to wait to acquire a driving licence could seriously impact these people’s ability to find employment Deputy Murphy warns.
“Many of these people may be waiting for a full licence for employment purposes or a job application may be hinging on them having a full licence while other drivers are paying exorbitant levels of car insurance for provisional licences and they are being left waiting long periods to sit their driving test.”
He is calling on Minister Ross to hire more driving testers as a matter of urgency.
