Backlogs remain for NCT and driving tests in Laois

There’s a four month waiting list for a driving test for learner drivers in Laois. 

According to the Road Safety Authority(RSA), anyone looking to book a test in the test centre in Portlaoise will have an estimated week of invitation for the test beginning on August 5. 

The situation is a little better in neighbouring Co Offaly where Tullamore has an estimated waiting time of July 15. Things improve slightly in Carlow where there are two test centres, Carlow and Carlow Talbot Hotel. In Carlow it’s estimated that a test would become available by June 17 while in Carlow Talbot Hotel the date was June 24. 

Although of little comfort to waiting learner drivers, the situation in Portlaoise has improved. Last December Laois Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley said the waiting times for tests in Laois were 25 weeks. 

At the time he said: “The Laois/Offaly delays are scandalous, and we have highlighted this to Minister Ryan on a number of occasions. Both the Minister and Government have failed to take action on this. This is causing real problems, in particular for young workers in rural areas who have no other means of travelling. We receive regular complaints from people who need a licence to use a car for work and other essential travel. Across the Midlands the option of public transport is not available to facilitate early morning travel to work as in most cases the services are later in the day.’’

“The Minister now needs to ensure that his officials and the Road Safety Authority put the resources in place to sort out the unacceptable backlogs,” Dep Stanley concluded. 

In April 2023,  Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and the Minister of State with responsibility for road safety, Jack Chambers, announced approval for 75 additional driver testers to be hired by the Road Safety Authority (RSA). At the time they said it would bring the potential total number of testers to over 200 and address the backlog in the Driver Testing Service.

Meanwhile, waiting lists for the National Car Test(NCT) are no better for Laois motorists. The earliest available date online in Portlaoise was on August 22 while in Tullamore the date was July 3. Booking by phone may secure an earlier NCT test.