LEARNER drivers in Clare are stuck in neutral with waiting times for driving tests continuing to climb.
Average waiting times at all three driving test centres in Clare have increased over the last twelve months.
Despite growing lists and the RSA’s commitment to introduce an action plan, activity has not ramped up at the testing centres. From May 22nd to July 9th, only one testing centre (Kilrush) was in operation for a Bank Holiday weekend while only three Saturdays saw any test activity, all of which took place in Shannon.
For Category B car test invitation, the average waiting times have increased from June 2024 to June 2025 from 14 to 21 weeks in Ennis, from 12 to 17 weeks in Shannon and from 13 to 14 weeks in Kilrush.
On May 22nd 2025, the RSA’s Action Plan came into effect and committed to expanding testing hours to include weekday evenings, Saturdays and bank holidays, with test slots running from 7.25am to 7.00pm.
From May 22nd to July 9th, Shannon operated on 23 of a possible 42 working days. Ennis operated on 29 days, while Kilrush was active on just 13 days during the same period.
A total of 600 driving tests were carried out across the county during this time. This included 332 in Ennis, 188 in Shannon and 80 in Kilrush. Based on the average number of tests conducted per day at each centre, which was 11 in Ennis, 8 in Shannon and 6 in Kilrush, the missed operating days could have allowed for an additional 469 tests.
Only two driver testers assigned to Clare are qualified to carry out car and trailer (BE), small truck or van (C1), and truck (C) tests. None are permanently based in the county.
Figures show that the number of applicants waiting for BE, C1 and C tests in Clare rose from 71 in January 2025 to 82 in June.
Clare TD, Joe Cooney (FG) who tabled a parliamentary question on the matter said learner drivers in the county are being left behind as waiting times for driving tests continue to climb, despite commitments from the Road Safety Authority under its latest Action Plan.
He believed the figures confirm that learner drivers in Clare are being short-changed and that the RSA’s delivery is falling far short of what was promised in May as part of its new Action-Plan. He said this shortfall represents hundreds of missed opportunities for learners in Clare and called on the Minister to intervene.
Officials in the RSA told Deputy Cooney that testers can be moved between centres to meet demand, he said this is not addressing the scale of the backlog.
Deputy Cooney said the growing delays are having real consequences for people in rural areas who rely on full licences to access jobs, apprenticeships and further education. He pointed to one young woman in Clare who applied for her test in March and has been told she may not get an appointment until October or November. He called on the RSA to increase staffing in Clare and ensure test centres operate to full capacity. He also urged the Minister to oversee delivery of the RSA’s Action Plan and ensure that Clare learners are not left behind.
Clare TD, Donna McGettigan (SF) said 1,300 learner drivers are waiting for an invitation to book a test slot. “The number of people currently waiting is not acceptable. Behind each of these figures there are learner drivers who are trying to move on with their lives. I am constantly contacted by people who can’t start a new job because they don’t have a full driving licence and some have waited months. During the waiting period, they can forget some of the skills they have learned and have to take refresher lessons when they are eventually able to get an appointment. Many apprenticeships require a full driving licence, so students can’t even start their studies due to the backlog. There are also employers who struggle to recruit staff, all of which have knock on economic effects”.
She raised concern on the lack of testing centres in the county. “We also have a situation where there is only one dedicated testing centre for the county, in Ennis. In Shannon, learners have to meet the tester at a local hotel and in Kilrush they meet in the carpark of the local golf club. This means there is a lack of services in North and East Clare, and there are no permanent testers outside Ennis, so testers have to travel from there to carry out tests in Shannon and Kilrush”.
