Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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257. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts made to date in opposing the imposition on the haulage industry of the lorry road user levy introduced in the Six Counties in 2014; the continued action he is taking to oppose the application of the charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40912/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The UK HGV road user levy was introduced in April 2014.  This Government lobbied actively against the application of the charge to Northern Ireland, in co-operation with Stormont Ministers.  Unfortunately, the UK Minister for Transport chose to give only very minor exemptions to Northern Ireland from the road user charge.  However, few Irish hauliers are paying the maximum charge of £10 per day to access UK roads.  The UK charge is a sliding scale, with rates ranging from £1.70 to £10 per day, or £85 to £1,000 per annum, depending on vehicle type and weight.  The reduction in commercial motor vehicle tax which was announced in Budget 2016 will more than compensate for the UK road user levy and reduces commercial motor tax in Ireland below the equivalent commercial motor taxes in the UK.