Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this Bill. The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013 is important legislation that will simplify the rules and regulations around declaring a vehicle as off-road, and will bring clarity to the situation for car owners and those enforcing the legislation. I welcome the main tenets of the Bill, as will all honest decent car owners and taxpayers who dutifully pay their car taxes as required - the vast majority of the population. At present a car owner who has not paid car tax for a period of months can walk into a Garda station, fill out a form stating that the car in question was off the road for the previous few months, and have this signed by a garda. That is the reality of the current situation. The Garda does not have to validate the declaration by the car owner and need only identify the person making it. This allows a car owner to avoid paying taxes in arrears for a period in question and, as he or she drives home from the station it allows him or her to laugh at everybody else who has paid their taxes. This is clearly wrong and is a loophole that needs to be closed.

I have heard Deputy Healy-Rae speak on this, day in, day out. If he was honest and told the truth in this House, he would have to say that what is needed is more funding for each county council in the country because they are under desperate pressure. What is needed is that €1 million. It would go a very long way in places in my constituency such as the Cahir electoral area, mountainous areas around Hollyford, areas with bad road conditions in Ballingarry and Killenaule. The list is endless yet the Deputy says we should not collect that €1 million. That much was said on the Opposition benches this morning.

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