Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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122. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will clarify the situation in respect of the national car test in the context of a suspension and or curtailment of the test over 2020 and 2021 in the context of accumulated arrears of the validity of a passed text, that is, vehicles may be required to undergo two tests in quick succession in order to restore compliance (details supplied). [34720/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that all Member States of the European Union are required by law to carry out periodic roadworthiness inspections on motor vehicles at regular intervals throughout the vehicle's lifecycle. The applicable dates for periodic testing are provided for by national legislation.

Under Regulation 3(2) of the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 415/2017), the initial test due date for a vehicle is determined using the date of registration of that vehicle and subsequent test due dates fall on anniversaries of that date. Accordingly, all test due dates are predetermined based on the date of registration of a vehicle. An NCT certificate issued in respect of a vehicle is only valid up to the test due date that falls after the date that the certificate was issued.

I would also like to advise the Deputy that the test due dates for some vehicles were extended as a direct result of the temporary suspension of the NCT service on 28 March 2020. This four-month extension was given to test due dates for vehicles under two specific circumstances:

- vehicles that had an NCT certificate in force on 28 March 2020; and

- vehicles with a first test due falling during the period beginning on 28 March 2020 and ending on 31 July 2020.

The NCT service recommenced in July 2020 and all vehicle owners are advised to check their test due dates on the NCTS website.