Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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48. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will review the regulations covering the vehicle roadworthiness certification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46849/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The arrangements for commercial vehicle testing in the State were comprehensively reviewed in 2007 and the Government decided that the model for delivery of testing by private operators would continue and that the authorisation and supervision of commercial vehicle testing would be centralised under the auspices of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to ensure consistency of testing across the country. The Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Act 2012 provides the powers to the RSA to undertake this function.

The RSA is currently in the process of rolling out major reforms in the testing system, which will deliver an enhanced service for the customer. Apart from safer roads for all road users, the reforms  are designed to level the competitive playing field for commercial vehicle operators by reducing non-compliance with testing and roadworthiness requirements. The new system will deliver several administrative benefits for operators, including online booking systems, reducing vehicle paperwork to be brought to the test and centralised issuing of the certificate of roadworthiness. No increase in testing frequency has taken place as a result of the reforms. Under EU law, commercial vehicle owners are obliged to test their vehicles annually and it is an offence to use commercial vehicles on public roads without a certificate of roadworthiness (CRW).

From 7th October last, a new annual fee, which includes a road safety levy, was introduced. The commercial vehicle reform process has been worked on since 2007 and there has not been any increase since then. The RSA consulted industry on the reforms and the planned road safety levy in November 2011 and the actual levy is lower than that proposed in the public consultation.  There have been a number of awareness raising measures of the reforms over the summer months and the new fees were advertised in national newspapers on 3rd October 2013 and are available in full on the RSA website. The levy is also funding enhanced supervision, enforcement and compliance measures being introduced at the roadside and at operator premises. A risk rating system is also being introduced so that roadside enforcement activity is targeted at higher risk operators ensuring that compliant operators are less likely to experience disruption to their daily business.