Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2009
52 Deputy Seán Barrett asked the Minister for Finance his views on the introduction of personalised vehicle registration plates alongside the existing system of vehicle registration as a means of generating extra revenue for the State and providing additional employment opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10024/09]
View answerThe current vehicle registration plate numbering system in the State does not lend itself to the creation of a market for the purchase and transfer of personalised number plates. In order to create a successful market, the current system would need to be redesigned or augmented by a parallel plate numbering system.
The registration plate in place under the current system allows members of the public and car buyers to ascertain, at a glance, both the year and county of registration of a vehicle. It is seen as a simple and effective registration plate system which is indeed the envy of many European registration authorities, including the UK. A move to a more complicated plating system, using variations of letters and numbers, could create confusion without providing any real benefits.
A move to introduce a parallel system for personalised plates would also require inter-agency agreement, involving An Garda Síochána, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Department of Transport and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners; and would necessitate legislative and administrative changes.
The small size of the Irish car market, the potential for confusion and increased tax evasion, as well as the costs of administering such a scheme, raise considerable doubts as to whether any real overall benefit would accrue to the State if a personalised vehicle registration system was introduced. These difficulties are compounded by potential additional problems in the management of the national fleet and the identification of vehicles in connection with road traffic accidents and offences.
