Driving-test waiting times could be reduced to four weeks if the testing system was overhauled, according to a submission to the Department of the Environment.
The IMPACT trade union, which represents more than 100 driving testers, has argued that the system cannot meet the demands being placed on it and needs to be revamped.
The union was invited to contribute to the review of the driving-test system by the Department of the Environment. There are concerns among driving testers that the review could lead to privatisation of the system, which IMPACT feels would have an adverse effect on testing standards and safety.
Mr Bernard Harbor, an IMPACT official, said this was the first time all the recommendations of the Driving Tester Service had been presented to the Government in a cohesive document. He said that while the Government had approved an increase in driving testers in recent years, this had not been sufficient to cope with the large numbers of test applicants.
IMPACT is recommending that more driving testers are recruited but says lack of career advancement or involvement in decisions about the service are serious disadvantages.
The union is also advising the introduction of a full theory test, comprising 40 multiple choice questions, 30 of which must be answered correctly. Higher test fees should also be considered to deter applicants who are not fully prepared.
IMPACT also stressed the importance of developing a statutory certificate of competence for driving schools and individual driving instructors. The appointment of a standards and training officer and the introduction of a standard manual for testers to improve the consistency of results were also needed, the union said.
The recommendations follow threatened industrial action by the testers in June. They claimed the Department was treating them as if they were the cause of the long waiting-list, when the real problem was the lack of an adequate structure.