Written answers

Tuesday, 19 October 2021

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Tax Collection

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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317. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason his Department’s website for motor tax online is not enabled to accept the online credit card payments system in line with its most recent banking security arrangements; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that local authority motor tax offices are not accepting payment by credit card over the telephone; if his further attention has been drawn to this leading to frustration for motorists attempting to renew their motor tax resulting in many unnecessary car journeys to motor tax offices for motor tax renewal; when will his Department resolve the outstanding issues with regard to the online payment arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50465/21]

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The EU Payments Services Directive 2 (PSD2) require Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) to be used for all electronic transactions. The Directive requires all online service providers to capture additional transaction information pertaining to the cardholder and to send this to the cardholder’s bank. The cardholder’s banks use this data to verify the cardholder, with the intention of making the transaction process as seamless as possible, and removing or reducing any extra layer of friction at the payment stage. The aim of the Directive is to reduce online fraud and increase cardholder confidence in using online services.

My Departments Online motor tax service, at www.motortax.ie, is fully compliant with the Directive's requirements. All necessary technical changes have been made to the website to facilitate the requirements, and my officials worked directly with the banking institutions to ensure any initial teething troubles were addressed.

It is important to note however the requirement ensures that electronic payments are performed with multi-factor authentication  to increase the security of electronic payments. Such multi-factor authentication can require a cardholder having to download their bank’s app on their mobile phone or tablet, or amend settings on the device to enable notifications to be received, and this may require the cardholder having to engage directly with their bank to address any issues they may have in this regard. My officials also provide assistance for such issues.

The Online Motor Tax service itself has continued to grow since the introduction of the Directive, with 3.36m online motor tax discs issued for the period January to September 2021 inclusive, an increase of 66,000 discs (2%) for the same period last year. Almost 90% of all motor tax transactions are now processed online.

While motor tax payment arrangements at the motor tax offices is a matter for the local authorities, I understand that in general such services are offered through physical appearance at the office, or via postal applications; as opposed to a telephone service.

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