Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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157. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there is a legal requirement for car tyres to be of a certain size, quality and minimum load bearing capacity; if so, if these requirements are clearly communicated to all NCT test centres and those who work in the tyre and puncture repair sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23975/24]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Tyres are subject to EU and national law. To be placed on the market in the EU, tyres must satisfy minimum requirements under EU type-approval regulations (Regulation (EU) 2019/2144). These regulations provide for a range of quality checks, including rolling resistance, noise and wet-grip performance. Separately, the EU Tyre Labelling Regulation 2020/740 requires safety and environmental information to provided to consumers, to inform purchasing decisions.

The Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 2003 (SI 5 of 2003), as amended, sets out requirements for the condition of car tyres and tread in national law. The Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 (SI 190 of 1963), as amended, provides that tyres must be maintained in roadworthy condition at all times when used on public roads.

Test items, methods and pass/fail criteria for the National Car Test and Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test are set out in Directives 2014/45/EU and 2014/47/EU. These requirements have been transposed into Irish law by the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations 2017 (SI 415 of 2017) and the Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness (Vehicle Testing) (No. 2) Regulations 2013 (SI 347 of 2013). Tyre size, load-bearing and condition are reasons for refusal to grant a test certificate under Schedule 3 of SI 415 of 2017 and roadworthiness testers are fully apprised of these requirements.

Further information about general tyre requirements is available from the website of the Road Safety Authority, www.rsa.ie.