A second tranche of driving tests could be outsourced to the private sector next year if the waiting list for a test has not been significantly reduced, according to the Minister for Transport. David Labanyi reports.
Martin Cullen said an agreement between the Department and unions representing driver testers contained a provision for a review in early 2007 on the effectiveness of measures introduced to reduce the backlog.
If the review finds insufficient progress has been made, Mr Cullen said he would consider outsourcing a second set of tests.
"I think everybody is now agreed that whatever it takes, we have to end the backlog," Mr Cullen told The Irish Times.
He added that until the waiting time was down to six or eight weeks for a test, reforms to the driver licensing regime could not be introduced.
Mr Cullen also said he wanted to see the outsourced tests concentrated on those centres with the longest waiting times.
Provisional drivers in Dublin face some of the longest waiting times in the country with applicants to Tallaght, Churchtown, Raheny and Rathgar test centres currently waiting up to 60 weeks for a test.
If the Department opts for a second round of outsourcing a new tendering process would be required.
A contract to carry out up to 45,000 driving tests will be signed between the Department and SGS Ltd, the company that runs the National Car Test, on or before July 1st this year. SGS won this contract following a tender process.
More than 140,000 applicants are currently waiting for up to a year for a test. There are a further 260,000 drivers on a provisional licence who have not yet applied for a test.
Outsourcing was initially strongly opposed by unions representing driver testers, leading to months of negotiations to reach an agreement.
This was finally reached less than two weeks ago following mediation by the Labour Relations Commission.
However, Tom Hoare, assistant general secretary of Impact, the union representing the driver-testers, said union agreement had been given for outsourcing on a strictly one-off basis.
"The Minister is on record everywhere saying this would be a one-off proposal. This issue of dealing with the backlog of tests is going to have to be addressed in the context of providing the resources to deal with testing," he said. "The issue the unions had with this proposal was not outsourcing or otherwise, but that unions had put forward alternative proposals that would have reduced the backlog within the same time," Mr Hoare said.
As part of the measures to reduce the waiting list, a package of overtime and bonus payments will see driver testers working nights and weekends to carry out an additional 40,000 tests.
The new national pay agreement removes the ban on outsourcing core public service work, but any future outsourcing proposal would have to be agreed after negotiation.
A spokeswoman for SGS said the company expects to carry out the extra tests within 18 months and that initially testing would be concentrated on "five to six areas" before being rolled out across the Republic.
However, the ability of the measures introduced by the Department to reduce the waiting list have been questioned by Opposition politicians.
Labour transport spokeswoman Róisín Shortall said the underlying demand of 177,000 tests per year coupled with the failure rate of 50 per cent means that by the end of next year the waiting list was likely to be six months.