Road Safety Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2013

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Questions (244)

David Stanton

Question:

244. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 613 of 30 April 2013, if he will, in the context of any future changes to EU legislation on roadworthiness testing, seek to have that legislation changed to allow vehicles to be tested by reference to the date of a vehicle's test date where the car has been pre-declared off the road as part of a legal process regulated by a member state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21785/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

As I outlined in my reply  to the Deputy on April 30th, roadworthiness testing throughout the EU is undertaken in conformity  with EU Directive 2009/40, which stipulates the intervals between test dates, which are derived by reference to the date of a vehicles’ initial registration.  EU law requires that vehicles must be tested on the fourth anniversary of their initial registration, and every two years thereafter.  In Ireland, as an additional element of national road safety policy, vehicles older than ten years must be tested annually. 

In July 2012 the EU Commission published a set of proposals which sought to amend Directive 2009/40 and following which the Council of Ministers for Transport, in December 2012, reached a General Agreement on those proposals. The General Agreement does not provide for the amendments suggested and there are no such amendments proposed. However, the Deputy's proposal will be kept under consideration.