Driving test delays blamed as number of learner driver numbers in Galway reaches 18,870
By Dara Bradley
Published 9th Jun 2026, 09:52 BST
There are 18,870 learner drivers on Galway roads, according to Road Safety Authority figures.
This represents an increase of 400 in the year to March 2026.
The stats, released under Freedom of Information to the Irish Road Haulage Association reveal that there were 388,090 learner permit holders on Irish roads at the end of March 2026.
That’s 6,219 more than at the same date in 2025.
President of the Irish Road Haulage Association, Ger Hyland, said the figures show that the RSA is not making real progress on driver testing backlogs.
Between 2013 and 2019, the number of learner drivers on Irish roads was consistently below 250,000 drivers.
That began to increase after Covid, going from 255,142 learner drivers in 2020 up to 388,090 by March 31, 2026, according to the latest figures.