Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the new procedure requiring cars that have been adapted for disabled drivers to wait two weeks to be assessed by national car test is causing hardship; whereas pre-September 2010 they could be seen straight away by the vehicle registration office and if he will take steps to eliminate the wait [4251/11]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that under the revised registration procedures (operated by the National Car Testing Service (NCTS) since 1 September 2010), the Revenue Commissioners continue to manage and administer the scheme of relief from vehicle registration tax (VRT) for Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers. In this regard, where Revenue approves an application for relief under the scheme, a letter confirming the appropriate relief from VRT is issued to the applicant, which must then be presented at an NCTS centre in order that the particular vehicle may be registered. The Deputy may wish to note that where a letter confirming relief from the payment of VRT under Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers relief is presented by a person at the time of registration (along with other required documentation (e.g. drivers licence, utility bill, evidence of PPS number)), for a vehicle that has previously been declared to Revenue by the distributor, vehicle registration can be completed at that time.

However, for a specific model, whose details have not previously been declared to Revenue and for which Revenue officials have not determined the value for registration tax purposes, that vehicle must first be valued by Revenue's officials before registration can be completed. Revenue have confirmed that at present this process generally takes 2/3 days.

In order to streamline registration procedures, Revenue will, from the end of March 2011, be providing electronic facilities so that new vehicles purchased by disabled drivers and disabled passengers from authorised traders may be registered by the trader at their premises through the Revenue On-Line Service (ROS). This represents a significant improvement on the pre-September 2010 service.

Additionally, a further facility is being introduced in March to allow authorised traders to have used vehicles supplied to disabled persons under the relief scheme, subjected to a pre-registration examination in advance of the sale so that they can again be registered at the dealers' premises through ROS. This procedural development will again represent an improvement on the pre-September level of service, as it will eliminate the need for the disabled driver/passenger or his/her agent to present the vehicle at a vehicle registration office for examination which will expedite the registration of such vehicles.