Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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616. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures he will implement to address the differential rate in taxation on heavy good vehicles between Ireland and the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28216/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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A cross-Departmental working group chaired by my Department has been established, following consultation with my colleague Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, to examine the feasibility of introducing an alternative pay-as-you-go road tax scheme for HGVs in Ireland, similar to that recently introduced in the UK, or a broader scheme which achieves the same result.  The group is due to report to Government in the second half of this year with its recommendations.  One of the options under review is a common road charging regime, where a single charge is applied but payers can use roads in more than one country.  There is precedence in Europe with the Eurovignette for a common road charging regime to be established.  We may look to this example and seek to establish a common regime between the UK and Ireland.  While there are many issues surrounding the introduction of a common regime and it requires the support of the UK Government, I believe that such a regime may have merit given our circumstances.  Therefore, my officials have begun exploratory discussions with their UK counterparts on this potential long-term solution.  A common regime would be of benefit to HGV operators north and south of the border, rather than having two different regimes that would impose significant regulatory burdens on them.

In the meantime, any reform of the existing motor tax system is a matter for Minister Hogan.