Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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146. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider amending motor tax regulations dealing with declaring a vehicle off the road to enable a person who presents at a motor tax office on the first working day of the following month after the tax has expired to be permitted to declare the vehicle off the road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20721/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013. The primary purpose of the Act is to replace the system whereby a vehicle was declared off the road retrospectively with a system under which the vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. The provision for retrospective declarations had become a means of evasion of motor tax.

The new arrangements have been fully in force since 1 October 2013. These only allow for a future declaration which must be made in the month before tax falls due, i.e. the declaration must be made prospectively. The declaration of non-use can be made at any time during that month, either via the local motor tax office or online, and is free of charge.

I consider the full calendar month currently allowed for the making of a declaration to be sufficient to enable motorists to make a prospective declaration that their vehicle will be off the road. I have no plans to amend the legislation to allow a declaration to be made on the first working day of a month, as this would provide for the re-introduction of retrospective declarations.