Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was about to come to that point. I will check the legal position on imported vehicles, how they are defined and whether they are deemed new imported vehicles. Obviously, if it is a new vehicle or car in an EU showroom, that is one thing, whereas an imported vehicle is defined as a second-hand vehicle. I will check to find out how that will apply. The current taxation position has drastically reduced the number of imported vehicles, as the Deputy knows, but it is a fair point. We do not want circumvention of the spirit of what the EU regulation sets out. We will check that point with the European Commission.

On the general point about having a retrospective position on second-hand and other cars, the EU regulation applies to new vehicles. I believe there should be a wider discussion with the European Union on how we support those who cannot afford a new vehicle to benefit from such technology and how that could look. We will engage with the European Commission on that point.

See this speech in context