Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

This is a very important matter and I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to debate it.

Last year it was estimated that one in ten motorists were guilty of motor tax evasion. That is many people and results in a lot of money being lost to the Exchequer. The Department estimates that outstanding motor tax in October of last year amounted to €40 million, which is a very significant sum. The Minister promised at the time that he would effect immediate and urgent anti-evasion measures, but we see no sign of these. In March 2005, in a debate in the Dáil, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform said he would push for the introduction of technology to detect motor tax dodgers automatically, but I see no sign of that either.

Let me outline some facts. The Garda's annual report for 2005 states proceedings were commenced against 34,000 people under road traffic legislation for not paying road tax, failing to display tax discs and other tax registration offences. The 2001 survey entitled Motor Tax, Motor Insurance and NCT Compliance, which was made available to the Minister, stated that, of moving vehicles stopped over a given period, 15% had no tax discs displayed; of HGVs stopped, 33% had no motor tax — I could not believe this; and of motor cycles, 26% did not display a current tax disc. The figures pertaining to vans and cars were 18% and 14%, respectively.

This is a very serious issue which requires immediate resolution. The Minister, Deputy Roche, referred on his website to the raising of this matter in the Dáil tonight. Although I acknowledge the presence of the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, I am sorry the Minister is not present. He should answer in the Dáil for not honouring the promises he made and for refusing to collect taxes.

I have a solution, which is used in the United Kingdom, where on renewal of one's tax disc, a notice is sent automatically. In the United Kingdom one is told that if one does not renew the disc within the specified period, one will be issued immediately with a fine in excess of €100.

We do not want the Garda to stop all the cars throughout the country because that is not reasonable, nor do we want to waste our time. Rather, we want new digital technology to read number-plates of vehicles that move at speed and check whether their owners pay their tax and insurance.

Ultimately the Minister must stop this scandal. Our non-national roads, country roads, are underfunded and falling apart. An extra €50 million per year is required to make them safe. In the budget last year, only €31 million was allocated for this purpose instead of the €50 million needed. This is where the Minister can bridge the gap, by obtaining the money. Everybody should share the pain of improving our roads and no motorists should be on the road unless they pay tax — it is as simple as that. The Minister has failed in his duty in this regard.

It is desirable to have an automatic fine in cases where one does not renew one's tax disc, provided the car is not sold or scrapped because it is at the end of its life. We need action from the Government. It is reneging on its promise to run the country properly and provide money for roads. The outstanding sum of €40 million is almost equal to the sum wasted on electronic voting machines, therefore, the Government cannot be taken seriously. It is not doing its job in regard to this matter.

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