After 12 failed tests, expert sent in to help Ray
The country’s largest driving school, the Irish School of Motoring, is sending one of its top instructors to meet Ray Heffernan in Cork.
Eric Hanlon, the school’s HGV and coach operations supervisor, said their instructor Eric Wharton will assess Ray’s driving ability and provide him with a training programme.
“If the dedication is there from the person, we can get them through the test,” Mr Hanlon said.
Ray said he is looking forward to it. “To be honest, I’m wasting my life away here will all these tests, waiting to get my full licence,” he said. “I could tell the expert what to do but I’ll definitely take his advice.
“This thing has been going on for eight years. I’m sick of this.”
The 62-year-old retired plaster from Mayfield has been driving for 45 years and claims to have never caused an accident.
But he has been branded Ireland’s worst driver by the tabloids — a label he describes as “hurtful” — after failing 12 driving tests in eight years.
Because of his repeated failures, a regional supervisor conducted his latest test last month. He failed it after recording 26 faults.
Afterwards, he branded the State’s driver testing regime as unfair and mounted a court appeal against the test outcome.
An application is expected to be made in Cork District Court on Monday for the case to be adjourned for some weeks.
He will await the outcome of the process before reapplying for his 13th test.
Last night, Ray defended his driving record, insisted he drove a good test in June, disputed testers’ claims they feel unsafe during the tests, and vowed not to give up.
