Applicants for driving tests at the 49 centres run by the Government have to wait for an average of almost eight months. In particular cases, the delay can be 10 months. And the minimum wait facing provisional licence holders in all districts is six months. This is a dreadful situation.
An estimated 350,000 people are driving on our roads with provisional licences. A significant number of them have failed their test at least once and are a danger to themselves and to others.
Five years ago, the Coalition Government unveiled a road safety strategy designed to address this and other unacceptable aspects of motoring life in Ireland. But, after all the political puff and promises, the testing system is as bad as ever.
Reforming legislation is now scheduled for the autumn, according to the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan. The proposals he announced last month are in line with those unveiled two years ago by the former Minister, Mr Robert Molloy.
Responsibility for the testing service will be transferred to an independent agency, having been operated for more than half a century, with truly appalling results, by a Government Department. In future, driving instructors will be State-approved. And provisional licence holders will have to avail of a minimum amount of formal instruction before they sit a test, in an attempt to cut the failure rate of 48 per cent.
All of these proposals are eminently sensible. But, because of a backlog of Government legislation, the chances of the Driver Testing Agency Bill becoming law this year is remote. At the same time, plans to clear the huge waiting list by bringing back retired testers, by employing UK testers and through a productivity bonus scheme came to nothing.
As a result, drivers coming to the end of their second provisional licence may not have their licences renewed because they cannot supply proof of a forthcoming test date.
Last December, Mr Brennan announced he would end the practice under which a driver could fail a test and continue driving on a provisional licence. That would help. Progress has been made in recent years with the introduction of a driver theory test and a vehicle testing service. But a great deal remains to be done. In Britain, where the incidence of road deaths is very much lower, a learner driver pays for an average of 26 hours formal instruction. Here, the figure is a few hours. The failure rate in driving tests - and the carnage on our roads - reflects it. The Minister must get on with the job.