Cork TD calls for driving test slots over seven days to cut wait times

The first new trainee driving testers started live testing last week, but a seven-day testing service should be considered to bring wait times down, a Cork TD has said.

As of March 2025, more than 6,235 people are waiting to receive a driving test date in the Wilton driving test centre in Cork. The average wait time for the centre is 31.5 weeks, more than three times the target of 10 weeks set out by the Department of Transport.

To support the Road Safety Authority (RSA) in increasing testing capacity and improving service delivery, in September 2024 the department sanctioned an additional 70 permanent positions for driver testers nationally, which will see the number of testers assigned to Cork double.

As a condition of sanction, the RSA was required to put a plan in place to restore the 10-week wait-time target as soon as possible.

In information released to Social Democrats TD for Cork South Central Pádraig Rice this week, the RSA confirmed that the first trainee driving testers who were recently recruited started live testing last week.

Mr Rice welcomed the progression of the new driving testers, but expressed concern over the length of time the recruitment campaign is taking.

He said: “It’s welcome that new testers are starting this week. We know that Cork is Ireland’s fastest-growing city. Our services and infrastructure need to match this.

“While the recruitment drive in September that sanctioned 70 additional permanent positions was a positive step, it is now the end of April, and the RSA expects it will still take several more months to complete.

He said thousands of people in Cork "are stuck in limbo waiting for a driving test. The department must start treating this like the crisis it is. The people waiting deserve better".

Mr Rice called for increased capacity at test centres like Wilton, such as a seven-day service, but added: “In response to a query I put forward about this, the Department of Transport has stated that Sunday overtime is not offered by the RSA.

“With the introduction of additional driving testers, this position must be reassessed. Something needs to change — people cannot continue to wait over seven months to take their driving test.”