Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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267. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current average wait time for NCT tests in each test centre nationwide in tabular form. [1727/23]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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268. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if car dealers have any arrangement with NCT test centres which would see their vehicles processed more swiftly than vehicles belonging to members of the public. [1728/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 268 together.

The operation of the National Car Testing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority. I have therefore referred the Deputy's queries to the Authority for direct reply.

I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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302. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps that he is taking to address delays in NCT centres. [2449/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 302 together.

The operation of the National Car Testing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority. I have therefore referred the Deputy's query to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

However, I am aware of the challenges that the RSA and the NCTS are currently facing to meet high demand for tests and the delays which vehicle owners are encountering. My officials are continuing weekly meetings with the Authority to monitor ongoing progress in reducing test delays and ensure all possible actions are being taken to bring the waitlist to an acceptable level in 2023, as well as supporting all appropriate requests from the RSA for assistance.

Strong progress is being made in addressing the long-term staffing issues behind this backlog. Over 60 inspectors were recruited locally in 2022 and a further 50 vehicle inspectors started the last week of 2022, bringing the total number of vehicle inspectors to 595 at the end of 2022. Further recruitment is ongoing in 2023, with 7 more currently in training and an additional 15 recruits waiting to be trained.

A number of other measures to provide additional capacity at test centres are also in place, including increased staff overtime, the temporary transfer of 20 testers from the NCTS contractor’s Spanish operation for a period of 3 months (8 of whom who will continue for a further 12 months) and the forthcoming pilot for additional inspection personnel to assist vehicle inspectors with automated elements of the test. Testers are being assigned to the test centres with the most significant delays.

I am advised that customers seeking test appointments may contact the NCTS directly, by calling 01-4135992, or may avail of the priority waiting list function via the NCT website, www.ncts.ie. In the majority of cases, these vehicle owners are provided with an appointment within 30 days.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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270. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason that the certification date on an NCT remains at the due date of the test and not the actual date of the test when the test is delayed due to the lack of availability of appointments prior to the due date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1770/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the European Directive 2014/45/EU on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers, Ireland, like all other EU Member States, is obliged to adhere to the minimum specified intervals for carrying out periodic roadworthiness inspections on motor vehicles. This is given effect in Irish law by means of the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 415/2017), as amended.

Regulation 3(2) of the 2017 Regulations provides that 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 and any certificate issued for that vehicle will be valid only to the test due date which falls after the certificate is issued. Award of a certificate does not legally entitle the vehicle owner to the subsequent 12 months.

EU Member States cannot unilaterally postpone the date that a test is due to match the date of testing and so extend the validity of certificates without a derogation from the EU Commission. The only occasion where such a derogation has been granted to EU States was under Regulation (EU) 2020/698 in direct response to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, when test centres were closed to combat the spread of the virus. A permanent change to the date of testing was applied to certain vehicles in 2020 as a result of the suspension of testing under the Road Traffic (National Car Test) (Amendment) Regulations 2020. Certificates for vehicles which have had the extension applied are also valid only to the next test due date.

Permitting the validity of NCT Certs to be extended without inspection would place the State in breach of our obligations under EU law and may negatively impact road safety should the vehicle in question be unsafe to drive. There are currently no plans to amend this legislation.