Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister knows, I have been working with the Irish Road Haulage Association, IRHA, and making representations on its behalf to both him and the Minister for Finance. The haulage industry is an important sector to Ireland worth €1 billion a year and employing 50,000 people. We are an island nation and 95% of inward goods are transported by truck. The IRHA would like to see the current road tax regime changed in favour of a pay-as-you-go system, similar to those in other European countries. To add to that, our international fleet is paying on the double when carrying out international haulage work, paying road tax in Ireland and then paying a road-user charge while in Europe, as well as a £10 levy in the UK. There is a disparity in regimes which means it is now more financially rewarding for hauliers to base themselves in Northern Ireland, which has been happening over the past several months. Will the Minister give an update on the working group's deliberations in advance of the October budget?

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