Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 336: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has issued a directive requiring that joint ownership of vehicles be replaced by single name ownership only; the way he proposes to vindicate the ownership rights of two or more parties where a vehicle has been jointly financed; the basis for this directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33603/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The National Vehicle and Driver File database (NVDF) is a record of "keepers" of vehicles and not legally entitled owners. This principle is reflected in motor tax law where responsibility for taxing a vehicle rests with its "keeper". Section 60 of the Finance Act 1993 enables the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to determine the content of records on the NVDF. In this respect, my Department confirmed to motor tax officers, in March 2006, that a vehicle record is limited to one named registered owner and joint owners are not permitted.

This approach for motor taxation purposes takes account of judicial comments at District Court level, that prosecutions for road traffic and other vehicle related offences, including penalty points offences, cannot be successfully pursued against joint owners. A number of prosecutions have been dismissed on this basis.