Nearly 5,000 people have been driving with only a learner permit for more than 20 years.
A road safety group is calling on State organisations to urgently address the issue.
According to Freedom of Information figures released to Newstalk, nearly 240,000 drivers across the country only have learner permits.
They include over 69,000 people in Dublin, nearly 26,000 in Cork and 12,000 in Galway.
Under current rules, you can’t apply for a third or subsequent learner permit unless you’ve recently done a driving test or have an upcoming test.
But new figures show nearly 23,000 drivers have had a learner permit for at least ten years and 1,442 have had one for over 25 years.
Aisling Reid is from the PARC Road Safety Group.
“Many of our families have lost people on the roads as a result of a collision with an unaccompanied learner driver, so it is quite unsettling for us to see figures so high,” she said.
“We would like to see the Road Safety Authority and the Department of Transport work on a solution to the problem.”
The Department of Transport said it is aware there are a large number of people on the roads with their fourth, fifth, sixth and subsequent learner permits – and it is trying to eliminate the backlog.
You must always have a fully qualified driver with you in the car if you have a learner permit.
Last year however, penalty points were issued to almost 2,000 drivers for breaking that law.
In the first four months of this year, points were issued to 742 drivers.
Mark McSharry is Fianna Fáil spokesperson for transport.
He told Newstalk Breakfast: "Obviously historically before the current rules many years ago it was reasonably common that people would continue on their provisionals when they could drive on their own.
"But obviously we need to deal with these 5,000 people.
"But an increasing issue over the last number of months since COVID we've had no learner permits issued and we have no driver testing taking place.
"The backlog is increasing at in the region of 10,000 per month."
"We've been in contact with the Department of Transport and Minister Ross over the last number of weeks to get him to put measures in place to allow learner permits in the first instance, and secondly to come up with ways to actually hold tests.
"As you probably know if you were seeking a motorcycle licence, for example, the tester is connected to you electronically with an ear piece and gives you instructions and such but travels behind.
"So there are ways of dealing with this".
He said there is "no excuse" for people who drive on a learner permit for an extended time.
"I think that we do need to look at limits for such things, and also supports.
"Some of the things we've come across in the past is where people are concerned about doing a theory test, there may be literacy issues."
"Whatever supports are required to assist these people in doing their tests and so on to allow them to drive unaccompanied is what's required.
"It is a matter for concern that 5,000 people still required to be accompanied, and obviously these people are of considerable years presumably if they are continuing on their fifth and six learner permit".
Additional reporting: Jack Quann
