Irish Drivers Association – Giving Irish Drivers A Voice        Irish Drivers Association – Giving Irish Drivers A Voice

News Bulletin (26th June 2006)

The Irish Drivers Association held a successful meeting with Enda Kenny, T.D. in his constituency office in Castlebar Co. Mayo this morning 26th. June 2006.

The items discussed were vehicle registration tax (VRT), National Car Test (NCT) and issues relating to motoring considered by motorists to be excessive taxation in relation to motoring.

Mr. Kenny agreed that the VRT was illegal and unlawful in that the European Commission have declared this tax unlawful but have given the Irish Government 8 years in which to phase out this VRT. We stated that the VRT should be abolished now and repayment to the Irish Citizen with retrospective effect but Mr. Kenny stated that the ‘illegality’ of the VRT is only effective from the date of the decision by the European Commission to which the Association responded that the Irish Motorist had informed various Governments that the imposition of VRT was unlawful from its inception, many years ago.

The Association is considering sending a delegation to Europe (Brussels) to request the acceleration of the abolition of VRT and to consider the possibility of retrospective repayment to Irish Motorists of VRT since the 1st. January 1973, and a declaration and undertaking that an equivalent charge or tax shall under no circumstances replace the ‘illegal’ VRT by disguised means or any other means whatsoever.

In connection with the NCT, we stated to Mr. Kenny that Directive 96/96 required only 2 items to be tested, namely brakes and emissions but our Government have placed many other items for checking and the NCT are failing vehicles in relation to criteria which effectively have nothing to do with the vehicles roadworthiness or its safety. For example, what has the Irish language on the registration plate of a vehicle got to do with roadworthiness or safety. This is for information only, yet is used as a failing criteria along with many other issues unconnected with the vehicle’s roadworthiness or safety.

We consider that we had a constructive meeting with Mr. Kenny who indicated that he would write to the Association outlining Fine Gael Policy on VRT etc.
The Association will decide in the weeks to come of putting candidates forward for the next general election if a successful outcome to this disgraceful tax is not forthcoming.
……………………….
David Russell
National Secretary
087 231 2250.

……………………….
John Lernihan
National Chairman
087 250 9123