Learner drivers: Delays, backlogs, and exorbitant costs

Learner drivers in Ireland face massive costs at the best of times, but the pandemic has delayed lessons and tests, with almost 65,000 people waiting to sit their driving test 

Kate Dunlea, Blarney, Co Cork, waited 17-months for a driving test appointment. Picture: Larry Cummins

Learning to drive has long been a rite of passage for young people in Ireland.

It has been linked with maturing, being more responsible and giving people more freedoms as the gap from teen to adult is closed.