Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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172. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce a rebate scheme for truck owners who paid their motor tax at a higher rate before the Court of Appeal ruling of 21 October 2015 to allow them to recoup overpaid tax' if hauliers who were paying at this rate before 21 October 2015 are entitled to a rebate; the reason for the discrepancy in treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43145/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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On the basis of advice received from the Office of the Attorney General, there is no basis for charging motor tax on articulated vehicles at the goods rate from 21 October 2015, the date of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in relation to such vehicles. Accordingly, arrangements have been made to refund owners of articulated vehicles on amounts overpaid on or after that date. The position in relation to payments prior to that date remains under consideration.

I recently published the Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015 to provide for such vehicles to be re-classified as goods vehicles and to put motor tax reductions announced as part of Budget 2016 on a permanent statutory footing. Owners of articulated goods vehicles, as well as owners of all other heavier goods vehicles, will benefit from significantly reduced rates of motor tax for discs commencing on or after 1 January 2016.