23,000 tests lost to sick days

SICK LEAVE by Road Safety Authority (RSA) driver testers in 2007 and 2008 resulted in the loss of over 23,000 driving test appointments.

Data released by the RSA shows 91 driver testers took 1,975 sick days in 2007. As each tester carries out an average of seven tests a day, this reduced the RSA’s capacity that year by 13,825 tests.

Last year, 95 testers took a total of 1,313 sick days, resulting in 9,191 lost appointments. The RSA employs 126 driver testers.

The average number of sick days per driver tester in 2007 was 20, although this dropped to 13 last year.

According to a recent study by employers’ group Ibec for 2008 and 2009, average annual sick leave in private-sector companies was eight days.

However, average sick leave data is skewed by the fact a small number of driver testers were off work for significant periods of time during both years.

In 2008, 12 testers accounted for 1,110 sick days – over half the total – and all were out for a minimum of 28 days consecutively.

The following year, eight testers accounted for 555 sick days.

During 2007 and 2008 the RSA contracted private firm SGS Ireland to provide additional driving tests as it sought to clear a backlog of people on the waiting list.

A sharp drop in demand during the first four months of the year resulted in that contract being terminated in April.