Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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425. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce a scaled tax rate for pre-2008 cars that relates directly to their CO2 emissions as is the case with cars manufactured since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5584/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I have no plans to bring in legislation to change the basis for charging motor tax for vehicles registered prior to 2008 to the CO₂ system. The question of applying the new CO₂ based motor tax system to all cars was subject to detailed discussion during the debate on the Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Act 2008, when the CO₂ system was being introduced. Any retrospection would not be possible, as the CO₂ data for the pre-2008 car fleet have not been authenticated for business purposes. The cost of any retrospection could be substantial were it possible, depending on how it applied, and could have direct implications for the revenue base of local government. Any loss in revenue would have to be compensated for elsewhere in the motor tax system, or through the taxation system generally.