Driving test wait times plummet in Carlow and Kilkenny

DRIVING test wait times in Carlow and Kilkenny have dropped dramatically to just seven weeks, making them among the lowest in the country, according to local Fianna Fáil TD Peter Chap Cleere.

The improvement represents a significant turnaround from the national peak of 27 weeks recorded at the end of April. The Road Safety Authority confirmed that the average national waiting time now stands at 10.4 weeks, with Deputy Cleere crediting the RSA’s action plan launched in May for the positive change.

“I am thrilled to hear from the RSA that Carlow and Kilkenny now have some of the lowest wait times for car driving tests in the country,” Deputy Cleere said. “I have long called for this issue to be addressed, and to now see real results is exactly what was needed.” The TD, who had previously voiced concerns about lengthy delays, praised the RSA’s efforts in tackling the backlog. The authority’s action plan has included additional tester recruitment, reallocation of resources, and focused management of test centre capacity.

However, the RSA said that while this represents significant progress, waiting times remain above their Service Level Agreement of 10 weeks and some individual test centres are still experiencing delays.

“We are steadfast in our commitment to bring the average down to 10 weeks and below,” the RSA stated. “A number of centres continue to have an unacceptable wait time and our priority remains ensuring more equality, uniformity and balance between supply and demand across the country.”
Deputy Cleere highlighted an ongoing issue affecting the system’s efficiency - the high number of no-shows for scheduled appointments. So far this year, 132 applicants across Carlow and Kilkenny have failed to attend their driving tests.

“I understand people are nervous and anxious on the day but not turning up wastes testers’ time when demand is already so high,” Deputy Cleere said. “There is still a huge strain on testers to clear backlogs, and dealing with no-shows is incredibly frustrating for them.” The current seven-week waiting period in Carlow and Kilkenny contrasts sharply with longer delays experienced in other parts of the country. The RSA has pointed to the full deployment of new testers and the opening of additional test centres in the coming weeks as key measures to drive waiting times down further nationwide, offering hope to local learner drivers who have been waiting to complete their tests.