(Dublin North-West) asked the Minister for the Environment if in view of the undue delays that are experienced at present in the Dublin motor taxation office due to insufficient staff, consideration will be given to increasing the staff and to introducing more flexible hours of opening to the public.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Motor Taxation Office.
20.
(Dublin South-East): The appropriate number of staff in motor taxation offices is a matter for the local authorities concerned to consider in the first instance. There are no proposals before my Department from Dublin Corporation seeking increases in staff numbers in the Dublin motor taxation office. The hours of opening of motor taxation office are matters for the individual local authority concerned to arrange.
Is the Minister aware of recent reports that people are not receiving their tax discs through the post and is he aware of the reason for this?
(Dublin South-East): I am aware that there have been problems in this area, but I feel the computerisation of vehicle registration will go a very long way to alleviate this and will have a definite impact in decreasing the workload generally. I am hopeful that a very dramatic improvement will take place in the registration and taxation office as a result.
As regards items being lost in the post or otherwise, I think it would be more beneficial to be specific in cases like that which could actually be examined. I do not say that you will have absolute perfection in the administration of any office. There is a total of 125 people operating in the taxation office and I am of the opinion that they are doing their job as efficiently as possible. However, I believe computerisation will improve that situation.
(Dublin North-West): Has the Minister any personal experience of the situation existing in the Dublin motor tax office at present? I had a personal experience of 150 to 200 people being in the queue and I waited over two hours to have my car taxed. Would the Minister not agree that there should be more flexible hours in order to alleviate the problem? Sometimes, as I am aware, people have to lose a half day from work to have a car taxed? This represents a loss to industry and a loss of earnings to those concerned.
(Dublin South-East): I am familiar with the office concerned. What might help to speed up efficiency would be the giving out of discs to people as they queue up. This has proved a more efficient system. We shall just have to look at the position again and hope that it can be improved further.
If a person has not received a tax disc and is held up by gardaí and asked to produce a tax disc within ten days, how will that person stand?
(Dublin South-East): The Deputy would realise, I think, that the gardaí concerned would show every possible consideration in such an event. I know it is not the Deputy's intention to dramatise or sensationalise the matter but if there are isolated cases where this has happened——
They are not isolated cases; there are hundreds of people not receiving discs.
(Dublin South-East): I should like to know about them and investigate them further.