Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 532: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to change the current system of National Car Test testing for cars that are ten years or older. [11165/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 477 of 2006) the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has responsibility for the delivery of the National Car Test.

In 2008, the RSA reviewed the car testing specification and, following this review, proposed that a number of new test items be introduced to the National Car Test (NCT). A public consultation process was conducted by the RSA on the proposals in 2009 and, having considered the views received, the RSA recommended that the proposals, including annual testing of cars over ten years old, be introduced to the NCT. The recommendations were accepted and approved by my predecessor. The requirement for cars over ten years old to undergo annual testing will come into effect on 1 June 2011.