Driving testers' contracts, including two in Cork, not renewed despite backlog

It includes two testers based in Wilton, where there is currently a 25-week wait time for a driving test

The RSA said the decision to not renew the seven contracts would not impact the waiting times.

Seven driving testers employed by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) have been informed their contracts will not be renewed despite waiting times still being far above service level.

The testers, two of whom are based at the driving test centre in Wilton in Cork, are due to exit employment in February and March.

The centre in Wilton currently has a waiting time of just over 25 weeks, meaning learners will be waiting until August for a slot.

The five remaining testers are based in Clonmel, Portlaoise, Cavan and Nass, which have waits of up between 18 and 24 weeks, and Mallow, Co Cork, where learners fare much better, with a wait time of about 10 weeks.

Despite this, the RSA said the decision to not renew the seven contracts would not impact the waiting times. In a letter, RSA human resources manager Owen Nolan said forecasting indicates the RSA would meet commitments to get back within agreed service levels by the middle of 2024.

“The departure of the aforementioned temporary officers has been factored into RSA plans to restore wait times to 10 weeks, and there should be no adverse impact on the mid-2024 timeline for achieving this objective,” he said.

Mr Nolan said the testers have reached the "natural expiry" of their fixed-term contract, adding they were recruited from a previous competition for temporary testers held in 2021 and were appointed on a fixed-term 22-month contract. 

This was subsequently extended in 2023 by an additional 12 months.

He said since 2021, two additional national open competitions for permanent and temporary driver testers have been conducted, which the seven temporary driver testers were eligible to apply for.

The issue was initially raised by Labour TD Duncan Smith, who questioned why the testers were not given permanent contracts.

“It beggars belief that with waiting lists still unacceptably long, that all testers are not being kept on, especially considering that these testers are already trained and have been for a number of years.

“To me, it seems like a waste of resources not to give these testers permanent contracts,” he said adding he has “no confidence” the RSA will restore wait times to the agreed service level agreement of 10 weeks by the middle of 2024.