Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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509. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will change the regulations requiring the testing of trucks and trailers that are currently off the road and have been certified as being off the road for road tax purposes, resulting in an increasing the financial burden on already hard pressed hauliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10506/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with EU Directive 2009/40/EC, the minimum requirement for roadworthiness testing of commercial trucks and trailers is that a roadworthiness test is undertaken annually from date of first registration. Vehicles which are temporarily not in use can deteriorate during the period while they are off the road and, in the interest of road safety, I have no proposals to introduce an "off the road" derogation system similar to that recently introduced for motor taxation.

The period of validity of a certificate of roadworthiness (CRW) is calculated by reference to the last test due date. In cases where a vehicle is overdue its test by more than one year and is presented for testing, current Regulations provide that the period of validity for the CRW shall be either 6 months falling after the testing date or a period of validity determined by reference to the date of the anniversary of the test due date whichever is earlier. This change was introduced so as to ensure that an operator who does not test the vehicle by the due date does not gain any economic advantage over an operator who tested their vehicle annually in accordance with the legal requirements and I have no proposals to amend the current testing requirements.