Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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219. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the regulations or guidelines in place, if any, to ensure that car manufacturers in Ireland install catalytic converters in such a way that prevents their theft; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49515/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Matters relating to the enforcement of law and the prevention of crime are for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and for An Garda Síochána.

As Minister for Transport, I do not have a role in engagement with manufacturers placing vehicles on the market within the EU or the appropriate vires to intervene in their commercial activities. Legal requirements govern all vehicles placed on the market in EU Member States, including in Ireland. Manufacturers are obliged to meet a set of safety, environmental and conformity of production requirements, known as motor vehicle type-approval, before placing a vehicle on the EU market. Every vehicle produced must be accompanied by a certificate of conformity, in which the manufacturer certifies that the vehicle corresponds to the approved type. The vehicle can be registered anywhere in Europe and Ireland cannot refuse to register a vehicle which has been type-approved without being in breach of our obligations to uphold the free movement of goods in the EU.

The design, manufacture and fitting of catalytic converters and replacement converters are subject to EU type-approval regulations, which apply the standards set out in UNECE Regulations 83 and 103.