Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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445. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration will be given to the use of the post office network for motor tax queries and payments to make further use of our extensive post office network and make such services more accessible to persons in local communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16844/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under existing arrangements, motor tax is payable online, by post or in person via motor tax offices in twenty six local authorities. Changes to, or impacting on, the motor tax system in late 2013, such as the ending of the retrospective system of declaring vehicles off the road, an extension of the facility to pay arrears of motor tax online and revised procedures for the issuing of Certificates of Road Worthiness for commercial vehicles have all facilitated greater uptake of online renewal by vehicle owners. As a result of these changes, online renewals have increased from a level of around 55% to 62% of all motor tax applications nationally, and it would be expected that the level of online take-up would increase further over time.

The operation of the motor tax system is, of course, kept under regular review in my Department. At present, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Local Government Audit Service are conducting a joint review of the efficiency of the motor tax system and I will take their findings into consideration in making any future decisions in this area.