Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for staying on to take this debate. This matter relates to the request by the Irish Vintage Veteran Trucks Association to reverse the decision to exclude vintage or veteran trucks from exemption from roadworthiness testing under the regulations the Minister made in 2013. These vehicles are vintage trucks and are all pre-1980. They are used by those who own them purely for display and pleasure. I understand that the basis for the exclusion was that the Minister was concerned that perhaps these could be used for commercial purposes. I live very close to someone who has some of these trucks, some of which are old army trucks. Nothing could be further from the truth that these trucks would be used for commercial purposes. They are used for display at vintage rallies and at St. Patrick's Day parades as floats. In many cases, the trucks are not even roadworthy and are transported from one event to another on the back of vehicle carriers. I am a little bit at a loss as to why the Minister included pre-1980 motor caravan vehicles, cars and motorbikes but excluded this group.

In discussions on this, I understand the Minister has agreed to review it in 2015, but some of these people will give up their hobby or will not use the vehicles until 2015, which is very unfair. If the Minister reviewed it now, he would see that this is a genuine group of people who are law-abiding citizens and who use this type of vehicle as a hobby. Many of them have been involved in transport and trucking all their lives, while many others are mechanics and this is their hobby. Will the Minister take a further look at this?

The matter was raised at the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications, which unanimously agreed to raise the matter with the Minister a number of weeks ago when the Irish Vintage Veteran Trucks Association addressed the meeting. Perhaps the Minister might have some good news for me in this regard.