Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to reform the motor tax system in order to stop abuse of declarations of non-use. [39910/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The General Scheme of a Bill to tighten the relevant motor tax procedures was approved by Government on 22 May 2012 and the Bill will be published as soon as possible once the legal drafting process has been completed.

I intend to provide that drivers will be able to declare their intention to keep their vehicle off-the-road in advance, so that if a vehicle is not to be used on a public road for a number of months, the owner will be able to inform the relevant authorities before taking the car off the road rather than afterwards, and so avoid a liability for motor tax.  Under the current system , owners declare vehicles off the road for the purposes of motor tax after the fact, which is effectively unverifiable and open to abuse.