Since this test was implemented approximately 7 years ago, it is the opinion of this Association that the Department of Transport by failing to listen to the Association and have wasted millions of litres of fuel, damaged our environment, wasted work days and bringing people on long journeys including damage to our roads in the process and then have the arrogance to blame the motorist for polluting the environment when they themselves are contributing to this unwarranted damage by the imposition of NCT when Directive 96/96 was introduced by the EU to test cars by stating in particular that local reputable garages who also service cars are also entitled to be vehicle tester inspectors in accordance with the provisions of Article 2 of Directive 96/96 to which the Government have failed to give effect. By creating NCT, a monopoly sponsored scenario has been created, limiting the choice of the consumer and stifling competition.

Despite being advised by the Competitions Authority in 1998, not to go down this road, they have failed to listen to both the ‘warnings’ of the Competition Authority and to the Association and to the citizens. We have had many complaints throughout the country in the past 12 months alone.

It is clear that this Company are ‘frauding’ or attempting to ‘fraud’ and deceive the Irish motorist as we feel that this would not happen if the Directive was implemented more satisfactorily by implementing the provisions of allowing one’s local reputable garage to perform this test in conjunction with the normal servicing of a car thereby avoiding the aforementioned damage and pollution to the environment etc.

For example: A motorist living in Kilbaha, Co.Clare, has to take a day off to comply with this NCT test and travel 70 kilometres to Ennis, Co.Clare, to have this test performed. Should the car fail on a minor item of which there are approximately 385 ways of failing, he or she has to travel back to Kilbaha to his local garage for the item to be rectified. He then has to travel another day back to Ennis, to NCT to conduct the test again. This is a waste of approximately 280 kilometres of fuel, damage to our roads and damage to the environment and a waste of working days. This is also occurring in counties such as Cork, Kerry, Galway, Mayo and Donegal when the test could be conducted at a local reputable garage as provided for in Article 2 of Directive 96/96. The EU used the words ‘in particular’ in relation to local garages who also service cars/vehicles to be vehicle tester inspectors which we have ‘trusted’ for years so why was effect not given to this provision in the EU Directive?

Regretfully, it seems that NCT are endeavouring to maximise their ‘profits’ with the blessing of the Government. The EU have stated that brakes from a safety point of view and emissions from an environmental point of view are the items to be considered on testing of a vehicle, in other words a minimalistic approach. By contrast, the Department of Transport has maximised the amount of items to be tested thereby creating a greater opportunity of ‘failing’ a citizens’ car. The application of VAT at 21% on the test and the retest is the hidden agenda to continue to ‘rip-off’ the already overburdened and overtaxed motorist. 700,000 cars were tested in 2006, and the Government will benefit to the tune of over €7million. Why should safety be taxed? Do the government really care about damage to the environment? From their actions, behaviour and ‘dictatorship’ it is clear that they do not care and in all of this, there was absolutely no discussion, consultation or agreement with the citizen who is ‘forced’ to pay for this test. We would now encourage the motorists to test their cars in the normal way through regular maintenance at their local garage and obtain a certificate of roadworthiness which complies with the provisions of EU Directive 96/96, paying particular attention to the brakes and the emissions as required by the EU, in preference to obtaining a test from NCT. It is time to take a stand against these decisions being made by Government who purport to say that this test is for safety on our roads when in actual fact, the real beneficiary and ‘hidden agendas’ is the amount of revenue collected from this exercise. The real beneficiaries are of course NCT/SGS and the Government with VAT.  Consider this. When a motorist services their car, and are told their car is ‘fine’ after the service, VAT is imposed on the parts and labour as part of the bill. Does the Government seriously expect a motorist to pay for the servicing of their car and then repeat the payment for the same exercise to be performed again by NCT and to be charged a fee + VAT for something which has already been done? If your car is factually ‘roadworthy’ after being serviced, NCT is effectively charging you, the motorist, for what you already know.

For further information, Contact:

Irish Drivers Association:
National Chairman, 087 250 9123
National Secretary,  087 231 2250

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