Vol. 550 No. 1
124 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 on 14 June 2000 in relation to the regulations on having mudguards-flaps installed on heavy goods vehicles, he will report on progress in this regard; and when regulations in line with EU Directive 91/226 EEC will be implemented. [7253/02]
Irish regulations dealing with spray suppression already require that, subject to certain exemptions, every vehicle and every trailer attached to a vehicle should be equipped with wings or other similar devices to catch, so far as practicable, mud or water thrown up by the rotation of the wheels, unless adequate protection is afforded by the body of the vehicle.
Directive 91/226/EEC sets out the technical requirements which a spray suppression system must meet in order to obtain EC type approval certification. The Directive does not require member states to make such systems obligatory. However, my Department is finalising regulations, which I intend to introduce shortly, which will ensure that the spray suppression systems that are fitted to Irish heavy goods vehicles, accord with the type approval standards. It is envisaged that these requirements will apply to all new vehicles from a current date and to existing vehicles on a phased basis.
