James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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489. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has considered the recommendations contained in the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission report “Access to Car History”; if he intends to implement the recommendations in the report that relate to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42531/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, I would like to outline some recent initiatives regarding making car history information available.

Change of Vehicle Ownership Online Service

The Department of Transport launched its Online Change of Vehicle Ownership Service in September last year. It provides prospective vehicle buyers with the vehicle registration number, make, model, colour, vehicle identification number, number of previous owners, NCT expiry date, tax expiry date, date of registration in Ireland and import status before they proceed with a sale. It also highlights if the current NCT status of the vehicle indicates a ‘Fail Dangerous’.

The information is drawn from the Department’s National Vehicle Driver File (NVDF) database. This service is a significant development that greatly improves the information available to vehicle buyers.

Written-off vehicles

Since June 2024, insurance companies have had a legal obligation to notify the Department of Transport of any vehicles deemed to be damaged beyond repair or, when in motion, to be a danger to the public. This information is recorded on the NVDF. This does not include vehicles that the insurers choose not to repair for economic reason (economic write-offs)s.

The requirement to notify the NVDF of written-off vehicles is covered by Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 2016, amended by Section 15 of the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023. Both sections have been commenced - SI 292/2024 - Road Traffic Act 2016 (Part 2) (Commencement) Order 2024 and SI 293/2024 - Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2024 apply.

Once the NVDF is notified, the data and sender are verified, and the appropriate vehicle file is updated. The file is then locked and the vehicle may not be taxed or undergo a change of ownership and no activity in relation to the vehicle may be undertaken on the NVDF in the future.

All vehicle data recipients, including the Road Safety Authority, An Garda Siochána, the National Car Testing Service and car history checking companies, receive the status of each vehicle and would be aware of a write-off status.

There are a number of areas where further information from the CCPC on the recommendations in the report may be useful for the Department. I have requested that the CCPC keep the Department informed of any further work being undertaken in this area.