Minister of State for Transport Seán Canney has ruled out an “amnesty” for experienced learner drivers to allow them to drive unaccompanied until they are called for a test.
But he said “all options” are under consideration to address the backlog in waiting lists. “The service is not right and it needs to be rectified.”
Independent Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae made the call as he pointed to the increasing waiting times for learners in his Kerry constituency, now averaging 23.5 weeks.
Mr Healy-Rae said it is particularly difficult in rural areas “where there is no public transport option. Driving is the only option. Many young people cannot take up job offers, apprenticeships or college courses as they would have to have a parent, or brother, sister or grandparent to drive them to and from wherever they need to go, with their L-plates displayed.”
The target maximum waiting time for tests is 10 weeks and Mr Healy-Rae said if the Road Safety Authority (RSA) cannot meet that, “surely the candidate who has done the driver theory test, the 12 lessons and all that is required, should be allowed to drive and given an amnesty until the test comes”.
Mr Canney said “I hear the Deputy’s suggestion of giving an amnesty but under current regulations and rules that may not be feasible.
“I assure the Deputy all options are being considered to help to address the backlog that is there.”
Sanction was given in September last year for an additional 70 permanent driver testers which would double the number to 200 by the end of the year, and the first tranche are now being deployed into service.
Mr Healy-Rae who raised the matter as a topical issue said: “Holy God, where are the 70 testers.” He raised the same issue a year ago and “the situation is getting worse day by day”.
During transport questions, Fianna Fáil Clare TD Cathal Crowe said there was “no shortage” of driving instructors and suggested they could be seconded to conduct tests as part of efforts to cut waiting times.
The Minister said that “nothing is off the table. In the past we have used private instructors.” He had met the RSA last week and instructed the authority to return in two weeks “with sustainable proposals which will provide a faster resumption to the service level agreement of 10 weeks”.
Fine Gael Cork North-West TD John Paul O’Shea asked about driver tests in Cork and said that 20,000 people are waiting for tests in the county. He cited the case of a constituent starting an apprenticeship in September who would not be able to commute to work because he cannot get a test date.
Fine Gael Cork North-Central TD Colm Burke said a constituent was given a December 22nd date from an application this week, while another was given a January 5th 2026 date, which was “outrageous”.
He said there “appears to be no plan” to deal with the problem and “it will probably take about three years but a clear plan should be set out”.
The Minister said he understood people’s frustrations and that every TD had similar cases. He cited a constituent in his Galway East constituency whose son had had his test postponed eight times.
He said the number of testers in Cork rose from 9 to 16 and will increase to 18 by end of year.
The Minister also hit out at ‘no-show’ cases, where last year more than 8,000 applicants did not cancel their test but failed to turn up. “It is very selfish of people not to show,” given the demand for tests, he said.
As the crisis intensifies it emerged that some Irish drivers are understood to be travelling to Georgia for tests following a licence exchange agreement with the Central European country in June last year.
The RSA said “a person taking up residence in Ireland cannot drive on a Georgian driving licence for any period of time and must exchange it immediately if they wish to drive in Ireland.
“The Georgian driving licence authorities may have residency requirements to be satisfied before they issue the driving licence.”
