Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

Deputy Lynch spoke about the moving of the goalposts. I will go further and draw the Minister's attention to their complete removal as far as the people of County Laois are concerned. Will the Minister please talk to the Minister for Finance about the sudden closure, without notice, of the vehicle registration office in Portlaoise? It served an important function in the provision of information on emissions and engine sizes. It also facilitated the registration of imported vehicles. There is a large second-hand car market in the midlands. This service which had been available in the town for many years was suddenly closed. In the context of information provision, openness and customer service, this decision will have to be reversed. Dealers and other interested parties in the county have been told to travel to Kilkenny, quite a distance away. It is not possible to transact business 20 miles away in Tullamore, as the office located there will not deal with registrations from County Laois. This is an important issue regarding motor vehicles, licences and duties and I urge the Minister to intervene with the Minister for Finance to reverse the decision to close the office.

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