Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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176. To ask the Minister for Finance if there has been an increase in the number of used diesel vehicles imported from Britain and Northern Ireland in the past three years; the statistics for such imports; if an analysis has been undertaken as to the reason for this increase and its implications of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54355/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Details of the net used diesel cars registered for VRT which were imported from the UK in the years 2016 to 2018 are as follows:

The large scale importation of used diesel cars from the UK during 2016 to 2018 may be due to a number of factors such as the relative weaknesses of sterling and the disparity in policies between the UK and Ireland in relation to the taxation of diesel and diesel vehicles.

My Department recognises that the large scale importation of used diesel cars from the UK over the past number of years is undesirable from a public health perspective and also an Exchequer perspective. My Department has previously examined this issue in the context of the Tax Strategy Papers and intends to bring forward options to address the matter to the Tax Strategy Group later in the year.