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For Oral Answer on : 14/06/2022
Question Number(s): 108 Question Reference(s): 30729/22
Department: Transport
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Transport his plans, if any, to extend the grace period for car owners who are unable to get appointments in time in order to complete an NCT test on their vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
As the Deputy may know, all Member States of the European Union are required to carry out periodic roadworthiness inspections on motor vehicles at specified regular intervals.
Under Regulation 3(2) of the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 415/2017), which sets out the applicable dates for periodic testing, the initial test due date for a vehicle is determined using the date of registration of that vehicle and subsequent test due dates fall on anniversaries of that date. Accordingly, all test due dates are predetermined based on the date of registration of a vehicle and any NCT certificate issued in respect of a vehicle is only valid up to the test due date that falls after that certificate was issued.
Ireland, like all Member States, is obliged to adhere to the specified minimum intervals between roadworthiness inspections. Permitting the validity of roadworthiness certificates to be extended without inspection would place the State in breach of our obligations under European law and may negatively impact road safety should the vehicle in question be unsafe to drive. Consequently, there are currently no plans to amend this legislation.