Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the danger posed to the wheelchair accessible SPV fleet by new noise requirements being brought forward by the EU resulting from the Ouzky report; the steps he will take to argue for exemptions which will allow Irish wheelchair accessible SPV's to continue to operate. [15056/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Ouzky Report concerns proposals for more stringent limit values on  noise emissions by road vehicles, requiring an upgrading of the 1970 European regulation which establishes the limit values of acceptable noise emissions (Regulation 70/157 EC).

I understand that the proposed new limits, if agreed by Member States, would apply in the first instance to the authorisation of new types of vehicles and would come into effect 6 years after any new European regulation  coming into force in this regard.

The matter is currently the responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and I have referred the question to the RSA for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my Office if a reply has not been received within ten days.