Seán Canney TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has confirmed that average driving-test waiting times remain at the 10-week Service Level Agreement (SLA) figure.

To ensure that performance is maintained, the Minister has instructed the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to provide him with a monthly report on average waiting times and pressures across test centres nationwide.

The RSA’s September update shows that the 10-week SLA has been held, despite a seasonal rise in demand which coincides with the CAO, as students start college and are looking for driving tests urgently. The service received 26,743 applications in September, one of the highest number of applications in its history.

It also shows that the number of people requiring a driving test has reduced to 89,867, down from 92,309 in July.

The report also highlights that the RSA conducted 1,448 Category C and D (truck and bus) tests in September, exceeding its monthly target of 1,300. The average waiting times for truck and bus tests stands at 13 weeks.

While more individual centres are currently above the 10-week threshold than in the previous report, the RSA is moving to reduce these backlogs through targeted actions, including opening test centres on the October Bank Holiday Monday and redeploying staff and resources to the busiest locations.

Minister Canney said: “It’s encouraging to see that the 10-week Service Level Agreement is being maintained, even with the seasonal rise in demand linked to the CAO and college-year timelines. That’s the standard people expect, and I want to make sure it stays there. I’ve asked the RSA to provide me with monthly updates so that any emerging pressures can be identified early and dealt with quickly.”