Fórsa has said the high number of cancelled driving tests linked to new insurance verification measures highlights the scale of the safety problem that driver testers had been raising. 

The union, which represents driver testers employed by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), said the recent cancellations underline why its members had raised concerns earlier this year about being required to conduct tests in vehicles that could not be reliably verified as insured. 

Assistant general secretary Ruairí Creaney said the situation demonstrates that the issue needed to be addressed. He said: “The level of cancellations clearly illustrates that there was a real problem that needed to be tackled.  

“Our members consistently raised concerns about their safety and their legal exposure when carrying out tests in vehicles that could not be properly verified as insured. The fact that so many tests have had to be cancelled shows those concerns were justified and that stronger safeguards were necessary,” he said. 

Fórsa noted that the wider issue of uninsured driving remains significant, with reports that Gardaí seized 19,673 vehicles last year for being driven without insurance. 

Driver testers had repeatedly and responsibly raised their safety concerns when conducting driving tests, which ultimately led to a dispute earlier this year and engagement with management. 

Fórsa said it is continuing to work with management to ensure the agreed protocols are implemented successfully. An agreement reached last week to accept digital certification of insurance should significantly reduce the number of cancellations seen in the early stages of the new arrangements. 

The union said driver testers remain committed to delivering a vital public service and to reducing waiting times for driving tests, while ensuring that all vehicles presenting for tests meet essential safety requirements. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.