Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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Mr. Scully expected to be asked this. Clearly, pre-2008 cars have a bigger engine size and the motor tax is two, three, or four times the amount for newer vehicles, which is based on emissions. It is clear most of the people taxing post-2008 vehicles do it in one fell swoop because it is only a couple of hundred euro per annum, whereas most of the people with bigger, older cars do it on a quarterly basis because it is so expensive. Many people tell me they have old cars and they cannot afford to change them. They call it a poverty tax. They cannot afford new cars and they must pay very high motor tax on their old vehicles. Do the witnesses get the point? It is almost a poverty tax. Those who can afford to get a new car get a reduced car tax because it is based on emissions. I ask the witnesses for an observation on this.