Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2012
363. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount that would be raised for the Exchequer by abolishing the off the road facility for motor tax; if he will confirm that if motor tax evasion was reduced to 1% a saving of €40 million could be achieved. [54122/12]
View answerUnder the existing system of making off-the-road declarations, vehicles are declared off the road retrospectively. The use of such declarations is increasing with a consequent loss to the Local Government Fund (LGF), which provides funding to local authorities and the roads programme of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. While in some cases declarations will be genuine, it is suspected that there is widespread abuse. The most recent figures available indicate that the abolition of such abuse would generate an additional income of some €55m annually. The Government approved the drafting of a Bill on 22 May 2012 to replace the current system with a system whereby declarations must be made in advance of the vehicle being taken off the road. Retrospective declarations will no longer be provided for. The Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting in the Office of the Attorney General and is expected to be published shortly.
