Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 November 2023
145. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider changing the policies in respect of NCT certification, in that any vehicle which passes an NCT should receive a minimum of 12 months roadworthiness from the date of any given test, which will reduce waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50741/23]
View answerUnder European Directive 2014/45/EU on periodic roadworthiness testing, Ireland, as for all Member States, must comply with the specified intervals for carrying out such inspections. This is given effect in Irish law by the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations 2017 (SI 415/2017), as amended.
Regulation 3(2) of the 2017 Regulations provides that the initial test due date for a vehicle is determined by its registration date and subsequent test due dates automatically fall on anniversaries of the registration date. A certificate issued for that vehicle will be valid up to the test due date after the certificate is issued and is not automatically issued for 24 months, or 12 months for vehicles over 10 years old, from the date of testing.
Permitting NCT certificates to be extended beyond the minimum test due dates would place the State in breach of our obligations under EU law and may affect road safety, should the vehicle in question be unsafe to drive. There are no current plans to amend this legislation.
