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WAITING TIMES FOR driving tests are on the rise at some test centres, with learner drivers in Raheny having to wait over six months to be invited to apply for a test there.

The latest figures, published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), show that some 66,091 people across the country were on a driving test waiting list in July, up from 60,474 in January.

Sinn Féin’s transport spokesperson Pa Daly said the increase raises “serious concerns about the capacity of the system to meet demand”.

“Despite repeated assurances that the driving test backlog was being brought under control, the latest figures show that the problem is once again heading in the wrong direction,” Daly said.

Some 28,760 people sat a driving test in July, with a 54.6% pass rate.

The wait times for the Raheny test centre last month was 29 weeks, up from 18 weeks in July 2025. In Killarney, waiting times have risen from 10 weeks to 16 weeks since last year.

Elsewhere, waiting times since July 2025 in Ballina have gone from 10 weeks to 13 weeks, from nine weeks to 14 weeks in Castlebar and from 12 weeks to 16 weeks in Loughrea.

Athlone, Carlow, Carrick-on-Shannon, Cavan, Gorey, Kilrush and Roscommon have also seen a week or two weeks added on to their estimated waiting times.

Some test centres have seen their waiting times fall between July of last year and last month, including several in Dublin. Waiting times for Finglas in Dublin have gone from 14 weeks to nine weeks, with times for Dun Laoghaire falling from 20 weeks to 14 weeks.

The waiting list for Tallaght’s test centre has dropped from 30 weeks to 21 weeks.

Daly said that while some centres experienced reduced waiting times, the figures “expose a growing regional disparity, where some communities are seeing waits improve while others are being left behind”.

“For young people, workers and families who depend on obtaining a licence for employment, education and daily life, a six-month wait for a test is simply unacceptable.”

He said urgent action is needed to expand testing capacity and “prevent the backlog from spiralling once again” and called on the government to increase resourcing to meet demand and expedite the recruitment of driving test instructors.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has been contacted for comment.

Under new regulations set to come into effect in November, learner drivers who have had their permits for four years will have to take a driving test before they can renew it again.

Learners will need to have taken a driving test within the previous two years to renew a third or fourth learner permit.

A fourth permit will only be valid for one year.

In addition, learners who have held a permit for seven years will have to begin the process of learning to drive again, including taking the theory test, completing the 12 essential driving lessons and sitting another driving test.

The new regulations will apply to cars, tractors/work vehicles, motorbikes and mopeds.

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