'Operational reasons' the most common excuse for 50,000 cancelled driving tests since 2023

So far in 2026, some 5,048 tests have been cancelled. Picture: iStock

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has cancelled more than 50,000 driving tests in the last three and a half years, with a 36% jump in the number of cancellations last year.

Figures confirm that, so far this year, more than 5,000 driving tests have been cancelled by the RSA, with almost 3,000 axed appointments blamed on “operational reasons”.

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin, who received the figures from the RSA, said that while there will always be occasions when staff cannot come to work, the body needed to be adequately staffed to ensure tests could still go ahead.

At the end of March, there were 65,591 applicants waiting to be invited to book a test. The RSA figures show that, since 2023, some 50,983 driving tests were cancelled by the RSA itself. Of these, 11,124 were cancelled in 2023. This increased to 14,757 cancellations in 2024.

The number of cancellations spiked in 2025, increasing to 20,054, an increase of 36% compared to the previous year. So far in 2026, some 5,048 tests have been cancelled.

The most common reason for cancellation is “operational reasons”. Other reasons include “learning routes”, testers being delayed getting to work, tester training, and other meetings.

Illness and annual leave

Over the course of three and a half years, some 22,741 tests were cancelled because the tester was sick.

Some 2,223 were cancelled because the tester had a medical appointment. Another 485 cancellations were due to late applications for annual leave, while there were 479 instances of no tester being available, and 279 cancellations due to personal leave.

Inclement or adverse weather led to 1,815 cancellations by the RSA. In 600 cases, supervisor tests were required and meant that tests could not be conducted.

Mr Ó Broin said he raised the parliamentary question with the RSA because several of his constituents who are waiting a “significant amount of time for the driving test” raised concerns about cancellations.

“I'd be urging the minister for transport to engage with the relevant authorities to ensure they have adequate staff so that people aren't waiting unnecessary lengths of time for their tests, and cancellations are kept to a minimum.

“The issue would appear to be more of a lack of adequate workforce planning."

A spokesman for the RSA said: "While the RSA always seeks to avoid cancelling driving tests, there are occasions where this is unavoidable due to weather events or when a tester is unavailable at short notice — usually due to illness, medical appointment, or bereavement.

"When the RSA must cancel tests, applicants are prioritised and issued with a new invitation to book a slot as soon as possible — usually within a few days."

• Louise Burne is the Political Correspondent with the Irish Examiner.