Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 November 2023
313. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 459 of 21 April 2021, the current steps being taken to address the proliferation of illegal vehicle registration plates on motor cars; whether sufficient legislation is in place for gardaí to apply a fixed charge penalty notice for this offence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53019/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraS.I. No. 318 of 1992, the Vehicle Regulation and Taxation Regulations, 1992 (as amended), governs the content, text, size, and other requirements of a registration plates. Certain characteristics of Irish plates are aligned with other countries across the EU by Council Regulation (EC) 2411/98 and by the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
The National Car Test (NCT) includes checks on the placement, format, legibility, visibility, and colour of a vehicle’s registration plates. Non-compliance with any prescribed vehicle registration plate requirement is recorded as a “major defect” under the NCT, and a vehicle displaying non-compliant registration plates will fail an NCT test until the issue is fixed.
While the format of the registration plate is regulated, there are no regulations in relation to the manufacture of such plates. The problems associated with the illegal use of false registrations plates are acknowledged, and the potential of addressing this through a new regulatory regime for the production and supply of plates is a matter that has been considered by Revenue in the past. On balance, however, it was concluded that such controls would not be effective given the simplicity and widespread availability of technology able to manufacture number plates.
Decisions about the regulation of vehicle registration plates or their production and supply, including penalties for offences, are policy matters for my Department and the Departments of Transport and Justice, which are kept under review.
