The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has said that its action plan to deliver a reduction in waiting times for driving tests has now been delivered.

The RSA said that it has delivered its commitments to reduce waiting times to a 10-week average and increasing capacity across the national driver testing service.

According to the authority, the aims of the plan have been achieved by efforts of driver testers; administrative, call centre and training staff; as well as newly recruited testers.

From June to August, the RSA conducted more than 74,000 driving tests, a 17% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

In that period, over 15,000 overtime tests were delivered, which the RSA said reflects "the scale of dedication and flexibility shown by driver testers and supporting staff".

The authority said that application numbers remain at record levels, with 192,373 driving test applications received between January and August 2025.

July and August saw an unexpected surge in applications, far exceeding typical seasonal patterns, reflecting the unpredictability of demand.

In recent months, resources were temporarily redeployed from higher-category testing to recruitment and training. This initially placed pressure on drivers awaiting tests in higher categories.

The RSA said it has brought this back into balance, with efforts made in recent weeks to increase capacity.

In August, 1,332 higher-category tests were conducted, up from 850 in July.

The five busiest centres - Tallaght, Finglas, Cork (Wilton), Naas, and Dun Laoghaire/Deansgrange - together accounted for more than a quarter of all applications nationwide this year.

At the same time, improvements were seen across the entire network, with average waiting times reducing in every county.

The RSA said new centres in Sandyford and Drogheda are at the final stages. While these sites are not yet operational, the assigned testers are already deployed to nearby centres such as Tallaght, Dun Laoghaire and Dundalk.

The RSA has also confirmed that plans for a third new centre are advancing, with a site in Munster identified.

The authority said that maintaining service levels will remain a "delicate balancing act", with demand for tests likely to be unpredictable.

The RSA said it will continue to manage the service, responding swiftly to any unexpected spikes in demand by deploying additional capacity measures going forward.