Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2020
186. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if a person attending a scheduled driver test in a vehicle with a valid NCT by virtue of the fact of the NCT extension will be failed or considered ineligible, that is, their NCT disc is marginally out of date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40962/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, on the 20 April 2020, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport at that time, Shane Ross TD, signed the Road Traffic (National Car Test) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 into law. These Regulations provided that a 4 month extension was given to test due dates for vehicles under two specific circumstances:
- vehicles that had a National Car Test (NCT) certificate in force on 28 March 2020; and
- vehicles with a first test due falling during the period beginning on 28 March 2020 and ending on 31 July 2020.
This extension was given as a direct result of the suspension of the National Car Test roadworthiness service (NCT) on 28 March 2020 as part of the State’s response to Covid 19. This represents a permanent resetting of the annual date for NCT for eligible vehicles. The NCT of those vehicles will be considered valid until such time as the next test date is due and as such, there should be no impact for the purposes of driver testing.
However, the Deputy may wish to note that that this extension applies only to vehicles with a NCT certificate expiry date on or after 28th March 2020, or where the vehicle was not first registered after August 2016. Vehicles not meeting these criteria are required to undergo the NCT before the vehicle owner can proceed with the driver testing process. The NCTS therefore has strongly advised that all NCT customers confirm their new test date via the NCTS website.
Where test candidates have an expired certificate of NCT on their windscreens, they are strongly advised to bring a communication from the NCTS confirming an extension to the period of validity. Failure to satisfy a driving tester that the vehicle’s NCT is valid may result in the candidate being refused permission to undergo the test.
