The Minister for Transport Martin Cullen's promise to cut the driving test backlog by contracting 40,000 tests to the private sector has run into difficulty.
Responding to a parliamentary question by Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell, it emerged that Mr Cullen has not discussed the outsourcing of the tests with the various staff associations.
"Although a successful contractor has been selected, Mr Cullen has apparently been called to order by the various staff associations to discuss the implications of outsourcing these tests," said Ms Mitchell.
"He should clearly have done this before he made the announcement and certainly before he put the private sector to the expense of participation in the tendering process," she added.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport refuted Ms Mitchell's claim saying substantial progress had been made in clearing the backlog. He said discussions had been ongoing with staff since January, details of which would be made public shortly.
Ms Mitchell also criticised the lack of change in driver tester work practices.
"A bonus scheme for testers was introduced to encourage greater productivity. In spite of this package , which came on top of benchmarking payments, there has been no apparent change in work practices," she said.
"As things stand, the last driving test starts at 4pm in winter and 4.30pm in summer, while Saturday morning working is vountary. With individual productivity of seven tests per day, and provied it did not receive a single further appliation, it would take the Tallaght Centre alone a full nine months just to clear its own backlog," she added.