Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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876. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will restructure commercial vehicle road tax in line with comparable costs in Northern Ireland, in order to save jobs in the haulage sector, as Irish hauliers pay €4,000 per annum per truck for a six-axle articulated vehicle, whereas in the North they pay £640 per truck, and an Irish haulage operator must also contribute £10 per day per vehicle to access Northern Ireland, on routes that previously had no charge prior to 1 April 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23222/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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​The UK HGV road user levy introduced on 1 April 2014 applies to all HGVs, both UK and foreign, using UK roads.  Under EU legislation it is not permissible to discriminate against non-national operators by charging them differently from national operators for use of the roads infrastructure.  This Government lobbied against the application of the charge to Northern Ireland, but the decision was a matter for the UK Minister for Transport.

My Department is currently chairing an Inter-Departmental Group on HGV user charges, which was established in January 2014 to consider the introduction of a 'pay-as-you-go' road tax system for HGVs.  The group has been examining the technical, regulatory and economic dimensions of introducing a HGV road user charge in Ireland. The work of the group expanded to include a full review of commercial motor tax, which has led to the group taking longer than anticipated to finalise its proposals.

The Group held a targeted stakeholder consultation in November 2014 which concluded in February 2015 and has held meetings with stakeholders, including representatives of the hauliers and their customers.

The report of the group is currently being finalised for submission to me and to the Ministers for Finance and for the Environment, Community and Local Government.  I expect to receive the report in the coming weeks.