SINN Féin TD for Dublin South West, Seán Crowe, says he is disappointed to see Tallaght has the highest numbers waiting on driving tests in the whole state.
There are currently 7,041 people waiting on a driving test in Tallaght and only 484 of them have an appointment date.
The next highest number of applications is for the Finglas centre which has 5,509 waiting.
“I am disappointed, but not entirely surprised, that Tallaght in my Constituency of Dublin South West features at the top of the list for the number of people waiting on a driving test,” Deputy Crowe said.
“There are 7,041 applications for the Tallaght testing centre and only 484 of those people have an appointment.
“The number waiting in Tallaght for a test has gone up almost two thousand in two months.
“The Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan needs to address this issue urgently and hire additional testers to deal with the huge waiting list.
“He also needs to consult with existing testers and their union representatives about extending operating hours to deal with the backlog.
“This long backlog is unacceptable and while I accept that the Minister is new to the job, he needs to get his act together and get these long waiting lists down.
“If people cannot get a test, they cannot get a full driver’s licence.
“This can have serious implications of gaining employment or holding onto to employment or simply bringing children to their school.
“This backlog has been inherited from former Minister Shane Ross, but the new Minister needs to be much more proactive in tackling this enormous driving test backlog.”
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