The Road Safety Authority has said it will be towards the end of the year before waiting times for driving tests reduce significantly.
Latest figures show another increase in waiting times, with the numbers applying also on the rise.
For those waiting on a date for their driving test, these can be frustrating times.
"To be honest, it's the lack of independence. I'm constantly having to rely on someone else just to be mobile, just to get around," said Lavinia Reidy.
Ms Reidy is from Bettystown in Meath, where, she says, public transport is unreliable.
The 25-year-old applied for her driving test in January but still has not received a date.
She is moving to Germany in September to continue her studies as a goldsmith and is under pressure to get her full licence before she leaves.
"The estimator can't even give me an estimation of when my test would be. At the moment I'd say, I'm in the same boat with everyone else where we're looking for cancellations. We're on the website every day, waiting 20 minutes even to log in just to see if there's anything in terms of cancelations.
"I wouldn't even mind driving to Donegal just to get a test time, just to get the test done before September. But, no date, nothing, and no availability," she said.
Ms Reidy is just one of the thousands waiting, and the backlog is getting worse.
Latest figures show that in March just over 81,000 people were waiting for a date for their test - up from 75,000 in February.
The national average waiting time last month stood at 24.1 weeks - up from 23 weeks the previous month.
All of that is well above the Road Safety Authority's target of ten weeks.
Aiden D'Arcy is a local driving instructor.
He said more resources are needed and also points to the fact that the nearest test centre in Drogheda has been closed for some time.
"It's really bad. I've students waiting up to 12 months for a test," he added.
"The obvious thing is more testers and more test centres. That's the quick fix, I suppose, which I know is not easy for the RSA to do overnight, but they have to open up more test centres nationwide.
"And maybe start working Saturdays might be an option as well, because they're only working Monday to Friday in the majority of test centres," Mr D'Arcy said.
Ms Reidy agreed: 'It seems to me as though the Irish Government is treating driving as a luxury, not a necessity. It's infuriating to think that so many people are waiting at the same time to get such few tests. The fact that Drogheda doesn't have a test centre ... most people have to travel to Dublin to do a test."
The RSA which runs the tests, acknowledges the delays and the pressure on the service.
In a statement, it said: "The Driver Testing Service has experienced unprecedented demand in recent years with the number of applications for a driving test increasing significantly since 2021.
In 2024 and a total of 253,850 driving tests were conducted, up from 196,853 in 2023, making it a record year for the delivery of tests.
"The delivery of 253,850 tests was only possible due to the support of our testing staff through significant levels of overtime and improvements in operational efficiencies."
It said it has been recruiting more testers, and their impact will be felt in the medium term.
"The RSA will have 200 testers available in November. As these new recruits join the service, the waiting times will reduce significantly towards the end of the year," it said.
