Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I listened closely to his opening address and was pleased by a lot of what I heard. I raised this issue with the Minister in the House last year in the context of the Road Traffic (No. 2) Act of 2014 and some of the changes proposed therein. I note that a lot of work has been done in terms of the general provision of facilities for car tests to be carried out. The Minister made reference to additional test centres, a 24-hour service and the provision of information on the NCTS website. However, I still have a number of concerns and perhaps the Minister will address them in his reply.

Senator Ned O'Sullivan made reference to the stopping of motorists who have an out-of-date NCT certificate and who have attempted but failed to get a test. The word "discretion" constantly comes up in replies to parliamentary questions on this issue and indeed, the Minister used it in his address to the House today. Does the Minister have evidence that members of An Garda Síochána have used discretion in such instances and have allowed people to go ahead and get a test and present the results at their local Garda station? That would be the normal procedure if one was stopped and one did not have up-to-date car insurance, for example. I am interested to know, three months on from the introduction of this provision, how it is working out in practice. It was brought to my attention last November that this provision would be introduced, but I have not heard anything negative from those who expressed concern to me at that time, which is a good indicator as to how the system is working out.

I note from information provided by the RSA that over 1 million cars are tested annually, with approximately 50% passing on the first round. The main failure areas include tyres, lamps, lights, brake lights and emissions. The Minister will be aware that many people opt to put their car forward for the NCT with a view to finding out what needs to be fixed before bringing it to a garage. That is done all the time. Many people I have spoken to have done that, because if one brings a car, particularly an older one, to a garage to get it ready for the NCT, the cost can be extremely high. People have discovered, perhaps from experience, that they can get through the test without spending as much money if they identify the faults first. People go to the NCT centre, accept the list of faults provided, get the necessary repairs carried out and submit the car for a retest, paying the retest fee. That seems to be the norm for a lot of people, except those who have relatively new cars in very good order. Does the Minister acknowledge that this happens and that it is a fact of life, albeit one we would prefer not to happen? Nobody is breaking any law by doing that. If the Minister accepts that this is happening, how can it be addressed? How can we assist those who are trying to be compliant on the first round and who are going to their local garage before the test? How can we make it more attractive to people to get their car ready for the first round? I would like the Minister to answer that question, because it is one that has been put to me by many members of the public. It is an area on which we can improve.

I acknowledge that the option to test one's car 90 days in advance of the expiry of a certificate is very good. I know people who live very organised lives and who will do everything in advance where possible. However, I also know lots of people who cannot remember to tax their car on time, never mind getting ready for the NCT, and who are up to the wire with everything. When the latter group of busy people look for a test slot on the website and cannot see one, if they then make a telephone call and go through the process which is clearly outlined, they will, according to the Minister and Road Safety Authority, be given a date before the deadline.According to the Minister and Road Safety Authority, they will be given an appointment before the deadline. I have heard anecdotally, however, that people who take this option are not given an appointment.

Senator O'Sullivan referred to waiting times of three months. When I raised this issue in November 2014, the next appointment available at a certain national car test centre was in March 2015. The waiting time, therefore, was four months. I accept that much work has been done to address the issue, with additional staff recruited and efforts made to provide a 24 hour service. I ask the Minister to respond to my questions because it is important to try to improve the NCT service by responding to the issues that arise in the real world.