James Bannon (Fine Gael)

The hikes of 12% last year and 5% this year in motor taxation were discussed in detail on Second Stage. However, the millions of euro lost through people failing to pay motor tax must be addressed. The Government needs to get tough on motor tax dodgers. A survey published a number of years ago highlighted that the Exchequer loses millions annually and it is unfair on people who pay their taxes. This issue must be examined because it has resulted in inequity. A number of those who evade motor tax are also cheeky when they are on the road. Tough legislation must be introduced to deal with those dodgers and I would like the Minister of State to comment on this aspect. The penalties should be stiffer for those who evade motor tax and they should be imprisoned if they do not comply with the law.

A related issue is the facility provided to motorists whereby they can skip the payment of motor tax for two to three months and then call to their local Garda station to have a declaration signed that the car had not been on a public road during that time. This should be addressed because local authorities lose significant moneys annually as a result of non-compliance with motor tax regulations. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State would examine this issue in detail in the not too distant future.