West Cork’s only driving test centre 'will not close'

Road Safety Authority denies claims the driving test centre in Skibbereen was due to close before Christmas because driving testers would no longer be paid milage expenses to travel to Skibbereen after December 23

A spokesperson for the RSA said: 'The RSA will continue to service the Skibbereen Driving Test Centre either via staff headquartered in Skibbereen or from resources based elsewhere such as in Cork etc as demand requires.' 

Claims that West Cork’s only driving test centre is to permanently close before Christmas have been rejected by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), the body officially responsible for driving test centres.

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Joe Carroll said he had been informed the driving test centre in Skibbereen was due to close before Christmas because driving testers would no longer be paid milage expenses to travel to Skibbereen after December 23.

He raised the issue under a suspension of standing orders at a meeting of Cork County Council’s Western Division. 

It’s of vital importance that we do something about it. There is an awful backlog of people waiting for driving tests in Skibbereen.

“I believe the story is that testers previous to this would go down from Cork to Skibbereen — or wherever they came from — and they got mileage to travel but that has been discontinued so people are no longer prepared to travel to West Cork.” 

He said: “This is a thing that is very important to the whole of West Cork, certainly from Clonakilty west anyway, because all the people are waiting to get their tests done and there’s a backlog.” 

A spokesperson for the RSA denied the claims, however, stating: “The Road Safety Authority can confirm that there is absolutely no truth to the councillor’s comments. The RSA will continue to service the Skibbereen Driving Test Centre either via staff headquartered in Skibbereen or from resources based elsewhere such as in Cork etc as demand requires.” 

Independent councillor Karen Coakley, who is based in Skibbereen, added: 

We have to fight for it because it seems again West Cork is being left behind. Why will our people have to travel to other places? It’s totally unfair."

Following a parliamentary question submitted by Cork East Labour TD Seán Sherlock recently, it was revealed the average wait time for a driving test in Skibbereen was 12 weeks. If the Skibbereen centre closes, the nearest test centres to West Cork would be in the Cork City area or Killarney.

Mr Carroll called on his colleagues to support his call to write to the RSA immediately to get official clarification on the situation.

“What I’m asking is for the council to write immediately to the Road Safety Authority to clarify their position with the driving test centre in Skibbereen. It’s vital to the general public. I know lots and lots of people who want to get their licences and they are waiting and waiting and this would extend their wait even further.

“I am asking for the council to write immediately to the RSA about that because we have to get it clarified because the thing about it is once it’s gone, it’s gone and there will be no bringing it back and we want to put a stop to it before anything like that happens."