Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Transport the requirements on drivers and vehicles from other EU states to comply with Irish rules regarding the testing of vehicles, the recording of penalty points, the registration for motor tax and so on; the obstacles that are preventing the equal application under these rules to all drivers on roads here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8586/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with EU Directive 96/96/EC, each Member State of the European Union is required to have arrangements in place for the compulsory periodic roadworthiness testing of motor vehicles registered by it. Accordingly, in line with the Directive's requirements, the testing of motor vehicles in this country is confined to Irish-registered vehicles.

All drivers are subject to road traffic law and enforcement is a matter for An Garda Síochána. While foreign licence holders do not have an Irish driving licence record, a separate record of any penalty points incurred by them in this State is kept in the National Driver File.

The enforcement on foreign registered drivers of penalties for road traffic offences is a complex legal and administrative matter for many States, and my Department is pursuing this question at European, British/Irish and North/South levels.

We are working with the United Kingdom with the objective of having a bilateral agreement on mutual recognition of driving disqualifications in place later this year, under the framework of the relevant EU Convention.

The mutual recognition of penalty points is however a much more difficult matter which is not covered by the EU Convention. In particular it involves complex legal questions, which have yet to be determined and which will require the passage of primary legislation both here and in the United Kingdom in due course. While both jurisdictions are working on this, it will be a number of years before a bilateral agreement can be put in place.

Issues related to motor taxation are a matter for my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.