Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013
960. Deputy Dara Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the best available figure or estimate of the number of vehicles that are being driven in breach of current car tax legislation here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38514/13]
View answerThe Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport carried out an analysis of vehicles that traversed the M50 barrier free toll on four separate days during 2010 and 2011, and identified an evasion rate of 5%. Based on the total vehicle fleet of some 2.4m vehicles, that percentage would equate to 120,000 vehicles.
I have recently introduced changes to the procedures for declaring vehicles of the road which will mean that, from 1 October 2013, the facility to declare that a vehicle was off the road for a period when the vehicle is next being taxed will cease. Owners will have to notify licensing authorities in advance of the vehicle being taken off the road, or alternatively pay arrears when next taxing their vehicle. The introduction of a similar system in the United Kingdom saw evasion rates there reduce from 5% to under 1%. I will be closely monitoring the impact of the new procedures with a view to examining what further action may be necessary to reduce motor tax evasion to the lowest level possible.
