Vol. 489 No. 5
94 Mr. Briscoe asked the Minister for Finance if vehicle registration authorities in this country participate in the EUCARIS programme for tracing stolen and smuggled cars throughout Europe; his views on whether the system is of benefit in tackling motor car theft and smuggling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8447/98]
I am informed by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners that there are six countries participating in the EUCARIS system. These are the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Latvia. The system is intended to provide access, through a computer network on a reciprocal basis, to each participating country's registration-licensing database with a view to detecting stolen vehicles.
The Revenue Commissioners, which are responsible for vehicle registration, do not participate in the system. However, discussions on participation have taken place between members of the EUCARIS executive and officials from the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of the Environment and Local Government. The Garda have been made aware of these discussions. The issues involved, including the overall costs of participation, are still being considered and a decision has yet to be made.
I am also informed by the Revenue Commissioners that while the existing coverage of the system is rather limited, some successful detection of stolen vehicles has been made through its use.
