Locals on a north Dublin housing estate have grown tired of an “endless stream” of learner drivers on their street.

The estate is located close to a popular driving test centre and is viewed by many instructors as an ideal place for their students to practise their skills.

Recently a video of a driver giving out to one student who was trying to complete a manoeuvre went viral - and reporter Josh Crosbie went to find out more for Newstalk Breakfast.

“Within an hour of 8.30am, you can see up to 14 drivers going around,” one man told him.

“I live in the estate; you don’t mind it once or twice - but every day?”

Another local said there was an “endless stream of them” and they were there “morning, noon and night”.

“They practise their backways around the corner and turn outside my house,” she said.

Not everyone was so irate about the learners - with one man arguing that “everybody has to learn, so why change from here?”

“It’s going to go somewhere else. They’ve got to do it - it’s as simple as that,” he said.

“They have to learn for their test somewhere.”

A different resident said he thought it was a positive thing.

“It doesn’t bother me in the least,” he said.

“I am all for it because it’s nice to see a young fella getting proper driving lessons than going out robbing cars.”

Teenage boy fixing an L plate to the back of a Renault Clio before a driving lesson.

Professional Driving Instructors Association Chair Dominic Brophy said it is important for instructors to know an area “inside out” if they are taking students there.

He also said residents in some areas are more “vocal” about people using their estate for lessons.

“I have to say, in general, most people, the majority, 99% of the people understand what you’re doing and understand the importance of what you’re doing,” he said.

Mr Brophy said more communication about residents’ concerns could help alleviate tensions.

“It seems to us as driving instructors that it’s just the reactive system,” he said.

“There’s no communication, no consultation with driving instructors with ADIs.

“We basically are communicated to maybe via the odd email from the RSA or in test centres themselves [where] signs are put up in waiting rooms asking us not to drive in particular areas.”

In 2019, prior to the pandemic, 186,379 driving tests were conducted with 53.9% resulting in a pass.

You can listen back here:

Main image: A learner driver adding 'L' plates to his parents car.