Sir, – We must address the situation that the Irish motorist is now faced with whereby it is extremely difficult and expensive to legally keep a car more than 10 years old on the road. I can support policies designed to eliminate genuinely unsafe and highly polluting older cars, but for the motor tax system and now insurance to penalise drivers of cars just 10 years old is unfair and unjustified.
Ireland has no indigenous motor manufacturing and so every new car that is bought here represents thousands of euro flowing out of our economy. The Government is happy to allow this because of the extraordinarily high levels of vehicle registration tax (VRT) charged. Motor industry groups will argue that car sales provide jobs, but these must surely be the least economically efficient in the country.
A properly maintained older car can be just as safe and economical as a newer model. Additionally by driving older cars we amortise the manufacturing carbon footprint over a longer time, a significant fact that is often ignored.
Minister for Transport Shane Ross must act to reverse this situation before driving becomes a luxury only available to those able to afford new or nearly new cars. – Yours, etc,
ALISTAIR KISSANE,
Howth,
Co Dublin.