Over 1,700 cars seized for missing NCT cert in Dublin last year

Gardaí seized 1,797 vehicles in the Dublin area last year for not having a valid NCT certificate.

The news comes as over 11,000 cars in the country failed the NCT last year. Drivers have been warned that, with the number of gardaí set to increase, more enforcement is expected.

If a motorist is stopped without a valid NCT certificate, and with no test date or place on the priority list, the “driver may be prosecuted” and may have their vehicle seized.

The figures were provided by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, following a parliamentary question by the Social Democrats on seizures in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Minister McEntee confirmed 1,797 seizures were made in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR), 250 seizures were made in Kildare, while 68 were in the Wicklow region.

Social Democrats Local Election candidate, Aaron McAllorum, said the figures reveal a “road safety and roadworthiness issue”.

“In 2023, there was a period in which it had been problematic for people to secure a timely test for their vehicle. The service provider incurred fines as a result,” he said.

“It is vital that all vehicles using public roads are fit for purpose. It is for the protection of all road users that these tests are compulsory.”

In a response, Minister McEntee addressed the road safety element, citing it as a “shared responsibility” that the Government is taking very seriously.

She also outlined the recent loss of life on Irish roads and expressed her concern about the worrying increase in road fatalities last year.

“Road traffic enforcement is an integral part of the day-to-day duties of all frontline gardaí. On average, 25pc of roads policing enforcement and 75pc of drug/drink driving checks are carried out by regular members,” she said.

“The budgetary provision for the recruitment of 800-1,000 new gardaí this year will both increase the number of frontline gardaí and allow for the expansion of specialist units as deemed necessary by the Garda Commissioner.”

An Garda Síochána and The Road Safety Authority have been contacted for comment.

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