Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Transport if in view of the concerns expressed by the Competition Authority regarding the ten year exclusive nature of the national car testing service contract, he intends to significantly vary the contract or at least ensure ongoing Departmental supervision in the form of spot checks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18937/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The award of the car testing contract to National Car Testing Service Limited (NCTS) was made on foot of a public tender competition run in accordance with EU public procurement rules set down in Directive 92/50/EEC. Under the contract, NCTS is required to meet a range of performance standards for the service. My Department monitors the performance of NCTS to ensure that it delivers the service to the required standard. To assist the Department in that function a Supervision Services Contractor (a consortium involving PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Automobile Association with engineering, financial, legal, IT and operational expertise) has been engaged and is working to an agreed programme for the Department. The programme provides, inter alia, for regular reviews of the performance of vehicle testers and the carrying out of spot checks, without any advance warning, on a representative sample of cars that have just undergone the NCT. The programme ensures that the car testing service is comprehensively monitored and supervised. I am satisfied that the Company is meeting the performance standards set for the service in the contract. Subject to continuing satisfactory performance of the car testing service, the contract with NCTS will continue for the contracted duration, until 31 December 2009.

The question of the car testing arrangements post-2009 will be a matter for Government to decide in due course. The views of the Competition Authority will be considered carefully in the preparation of proposals for Government on the succession arrangements to apply after December 2009.