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Motor Tax Exemptions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2013

Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Questions (210)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

210. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will address the points raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding off road declarations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43561/13]

View answer

Written answers

The primary purpose of the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 is to replace the system whereby a vehicle is only declared off the road when the owner next goes to tax it with a system where the vehicle has to be declared off the road in advance. This is aimed at closing an evasion loophole, costing taxpayers approximately €55m per annum, which was facilitated through the use of retrospective declarations.

The Act provided for a three month transition period from the commencement of the Act to allow motorists to bring their motor tax status up to date and to make both a prospective and retrospective off-road declaration. At the end of the transition period, the Act provides that only a prospective declaration may be made. The Act commenced on 1 July 2013, with the transition period running to 30 September 2013.

I am satisfied that there was extensive public notice of the Act’s coming into force and widespread awareness of the new arrangements from before the start of the transition period, including via bodies representing the interests of owners of vintage and veteran vehicles. Advertisements giving notice of the proposed changes were run in national and local newspapers in the first week in July and again in the second week in September. Local radio ads were run over the course of a week in July and both national and local radio ads were again run over the course of a week in mid-September. The changes have also been highlighted in a number of media articles over the course of that period.

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