Talks to avert a work-to-rule by the State's 101 driving testers on Monday were adjourned last night. The testers deferred action threatened for yesterday to allow talks with the Department of the Environment and Local Government.
The national secretary of IMPACT, Mr Kevin O'Driscoll, said last night that talks "are very slow and the rift between us very wide, but we are making some progress".
Earlier he accused the Department of treating the testers as if they were the cause of the long waiting list when the real problem was lack of adequate structures.
There was no comment from the Department, which is to hold an independent review of the system. IMPACT members fear this could be a prelude to privatisation.
If Monday's work-to-rule goes ahead there will be a ban on overtime, which could see the cancellation of Saturday testing. Testers will also refuse to examine applicants who turn up late, cancel a test if the preceding one runs over time, refuse to stand in for a colleague or accept telephone cancellations. The Minister of State at the Department, Mr Robert Molloy, announced the review last month following what he called "fair and challenging questions" raised by a Comptroller and Auditor General report.
It found, among other things, that the Department was not meeting its productivity targets.
Testers also want the non-regulation of driving schools and poor facilities in some testing centres addressed. Some 90,000 people are waiting an average of 29 weeks for a test.