Cullen tries again to outsource driving test

The Minister for Transport is to make a final attempt to introduce a private firm to try and reduce the long waiting list for driving tests at an arbitration hearing tomorrow morning.

Martin Cullen told The Irish Times that he wants to revert to outsourcing immediately after a plan suggested by unions to use surplus Department of Agriculture staff as driver testers failed to deliver the required staff.

Mr Cullen's move is being strongly opposed by the three trade unions representing the existing driver testers and administration staff, who have referred the matter to the civil service arbitration board.

Last year the number of drivers on a provisional licence rose to more than 404,000, with 129,869 waiting to take their test. The average waiting time for a driving test is now over ten months, while in many parts of the country provisional drivers are forced to wait over a year.

At the end of 2005 more than 206,000 drivers were using a first provisional licence, more than 98,500 were using a second provisional and over 42,240 were on their third. Drivers on their second provisional can drive unaccompanied. The delays have been compounded by the fact that about 16,000 fewer tests were carried out last year than in 2004. To address this Mr Cullen put forward a proposal last year, which included a bonus scheme to encourage driver testers to work overtime and the outsourcing of 40,000 tests to a private company.

This plan was immediately contested by Impact, the Civil and Public Service Union and Federated Union of Government Employees, who objected to the core work of civil servants being outsourced. As an alternative they proposed retraining surplus Department of Agriculture staff to clear the backlog. However, this plan was dependent on a minimum of 25 suitable Department of Agriculture staff being willing to participate and when only eight were identified, Mr Cullen signalled his intention to return to the private sector.

The Department of Transport has identified the company that operates the National Car Test as a preferred candidate for the contract to provide 40,000 driving tests and Mr Cullen is keen to have the company start work as soon as possible.

"We are going to move to outsourcing immediately. It is a key element in reducing the waiting list for driving tests. I understand the Department is going to arbitration - and hopefully that will resolve it."

Mr Cullen said at the moment he was not looking at outsourcing more than 40,000 tests, as he hoped that the private firm, in conjunction with a bonus overtime scheme for existing driver testers "would make a huge impact".

"I would be delighted if I could get a deal immediately. That would allow us to clear the waiting list in a year or 18 months. Then we can get back to a much more normal situation where you can get a test in a few weeks."

"Removing the backlog is crucial for road safety ... and when I do, I want to look in a very comprehensive way at the whole issue of training and the sort of licences drivers get," Mr Cullen said. However, the three unions are confident that the arbitration board will reject the Minister's plan.

"We have no objections to additional contractors being hired by the Department, but we are totally opposed to outsourcing core work," said a union source. "The Department of Transport recently advertised for ten extra driver testers and got 2,000 suitable applications. So why not hire as many as they need, rather than use outsourcing to a private firm?"

"The problem is the Department of Finance picked an arbitrary limit of just ten positions, a figure that has nothing to do with service delivery."

"I would be very surprised if we don't win," the source added. "We have offered a solution. If that is not enough then there is something going on that has nothing to do with industrial relations and cutting the waiting list."

The Civil Service Arbitration board is chaired by Gerry Durkan senior counsel, and includes nominees Tom Wall and Derek Hunter. It was established under Sustaining Progress and its decision is binding on both sides.