Plans by the Department of Transport to clear the waiting list for driving tests have been thrown into doubt after an independent arbitration ruled against it.
The IMPACT trade union said the decision by the Civil Service Arbitration Board means the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, cannot proceed with plans to outsource driving tests to private companies.
The union had proposed alternatives to privatisation including the re-deployment of surplus civil servants and the introduction of a bonus scheme.
IMPACT says its proposals could result in 50,000 extra tests a year. The waiting list for driving tests stands at 130,000.
The plan to outsource 40,000 tests to private companies had also been opposed by the Civil and Public Service Union and the Federated Union of Government Employees who objected to the core work of civil servants being outsourced.
In its ruling the arbitration board said that under the social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress, it was not possible to outsource the work.
Minister Cullen had previously said that clearing the backlog of drivers awaiting tests was crucial for road safety. He believed outsourcing was essential to reduce the waiting list.
