Driving test centres in County Tipperary had the highest pass rates in Ireland in January and also one Tipperary centre reports the second lowest pass rate.
The average pass rate for the 18,500 driving tests in Ireland last month was 53.3%.with large differences between pass and failure rates at the country’s 68 different test centres.
The lowest pass rate in the country was at Charlestown in Dublin at 31.5%, followed narrowly by Nenagh at 31.9% and Carlow at 37.5%.
The test centre with the highest pass rate in the country is in Thurles, at 74.4% followed by Monaghan at 72.4%, Kilrush in Co Clare at 66.1%. The national average pass rate was 51.6% last year.
Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to tackle the backlog in driving tests as the party says there are 72,000 learner drivers waiting to take their test – the party raised the issue in the Dáil last night. The average waiting time to take a test is now above the statutory maximum of ten weeks, with many people waiting six months to take the test and others over eight months. The party is highlighting that the delays can trap drivers in expensive insurance policies.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien responding in the Dáil says the delays are unacceptable and for that reason, he would not oppose the Sinn Féin motion and committed to engage with the Road Safety Authority about hiring extra testers. Last year 275,000 tests were requested and 250,000 were delivered.
