Meanwhile on the Roads...

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123668114#Comment_123668114

Real reason

the electrification of the fleet is costing €1.5bn pa in lost motor tax, VAT, and petrol and diesel excise receipts.. tax experts said that as Irish transport network electrifies, “existing tax bases will be eroded” and a way to plug the hole needs to be found. The Journal

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123668259#Comment_123668259

Well, yes, obviously it always comes down to money and the need to fill the coffers. But the point is that the more offensive vehicles, which are the ones causing most emissions (even EVs with more rubber particles) and wear on the roads should be the ones to be targeted. Rather than a lazy broad brush approach of just taxing everyone based on some other criteria. Its good to see them at least acknowledging the need to evolve

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123668259#Comment_123668259

Indeed, and as discussed on PK earlier if introduced it's EVs that will be hardest hit.

But given their owners are environmentally minded first and foremost, they'll be happy to pay that bit more won't they? It's for the common good after all.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123668363#Comment_123668363

I wouldn't necessarily be too cynical. There's a need to push the EV market to produce smaller, lighter vehicles (like the Inster). It's consumer demand that will ultimately drive the motor industry. The likes of the Quashqai and Santa Fe kicked off the trend for supersizing ordinary, family, suburban, run-around cars and the need for everything to look 'off-road'. So from what I can see the EV manufacturers just jumped on that wave and figured they better counter the notion of EVs being for hippies, wokes and women by going BIG. Nobody wants to pay more in tax but I can't see it triggering an outcry. More likely, if more countries take this approach, it'll just steer consumers back to thinking "actually, that small EV is much cheaper, much more economical, adequate for my needs and easier to drive". If the tax pricing helps to drive that, then great. But unless something happens car makers will just continue this marketing of bigger is better.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123668259#Comment_123668259

Something about your figures doesn't make sense

EVs pay a motor tax rate of €120 pa

The most expensive tax band in Ireland is €1,809,

That's a difference of €1,689

Dividing the difference, to have a €1.5bn (1,500,000,000) pa deficit you would need to replace 888,099 of the highest emitting vehicles with EVs…

Unless I woke up in an alternative universe I don't believe that we have anywhere near that amount of EVs on our roads and I certainly don't think they are replacing the most polluting vehicles. It feels like there's more ford rangers on our roads today than ever before!

Other benefits, such as reduced EU emissions fees and savings to the healthcare sector due to better public health outcomes probably erodes the figure further

zell12

It is not just motor tax.. Tax Strategy Group

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123668434#Comment_123668434

I think it's your own figures that are missing something……….

https://www.revenue.ie/en/companies-and-charities/excise-and-licences/excise-duty-rates/mineral-oil-tax.aspx

MojoMaker

Except for the fact that the buyers (with the cash) are ever demanding bigger vehicles. As you know, historically in the psyche a large vehicle = success. Seems like that's been hard to change over time, and manufacturers play to it nicely, especially when they can justify a price increase for "space".

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123668787#Comment_123668787

What does that have to do with motor tax?

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123669120#Comment_123669120

Maybe learn to read what you quoted?

the electrification of the fleet is costing €1.5bn in lost motor tax, VAT, and petrol and diesel excise receipts

CoffeeImpala

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123668259#Comment_123668259

I wouldn't necessarily be relying on the journal for accurate reporting. If you go to the source they reference and then follow it's sources back you get to a 2019 DPER spending review which states:

"The growth in EVs will also reduce Exchequer revenues, with €1.5 billion less revenue from motor tax, VAT and fuel oil tax between now and 2030, reaching €500 million in annual losses by 2030, if the Climate Plan targets are reached."

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/collections/spending-review-2019/

Spending Review: Personal Incentives for Electric Vehicle purchase

magicbastarder

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/static-speed-camera-to-be-operational-in-crumlin-from-august-1st-1786751.html

I think red light cameras would be more useful?

CramCycle

Interesting they don't note the savings from carbon credits we won't need to buy or fines which will lessen. Couples with an effective payback to owners even if taxes at the same rate due to reduced fuel costs as we drive to more sustainable energy sources.

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123670038#Comment_123670038

That is exactly what i just text my mate who lives down there.

Junction is a bloody mess but doubt much speeding along the canal

magicbastarder

i was wondering whether there was a particular problem speeding there.

khamilton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123670294#Comment_123670294

There's a lot of speeding on that stretch of the Crumlin Road. Whether there's more speeding than elsewhere, it's hard to even know these days.

JMcL

Junction is a bloody mess but doubt much speeding along the canal

I'd have thought it's more to do with drivers catching a green light coming to/from Cork St. Fine stretch of clear road for a heavy foot given the right time of day

nilhg

https://yle.fi/a/74-20174831

It can be done….

zell12

oops

An independent review was launched after a garda whistleblower informed that a substantial number of the gardaí tasked with policing the roads were not doing their jobs.

"They were in the cars with people, and they were openly hostile to doing their job"

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0731/1526401-garda-crowe-report/

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123686960#Comment_123686960

Colour me not surprised. Anecdotally, I and others I know, have seen repeatedly over the years Gardai not only not enforcing the rules, but actively breaking them.

zell12

We all shall be perusing the report with jaundiced interest 🧐, if it is published

Seth Brundle

"I'm stunned Ambrose" 🙄

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123686960#Comment_123686960

Between this and the frequent reliance on spurious GDPR barriers by certain Gardai

https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/the-irish-mail-on-sunday/20250720/282106347675021

one could be forgiven for thinking that they don't give a slight toss about what happens on the road.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123686960#Comment_123686960

I'm shocked! Said no one ever!

De Bhál

First off, I know next to nothing about the structure of the Gardai.

When a Guard leaves Templemore, are some of them told they will be roads police or how does it work. Have they a choice?

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123687163#Comment_123687163

Nothing will make me change my view that this is just the natural consequence/ result of zero f**ks given by the Govt, Min. for Justice, Garda Commissioner and Garda Superintendents. Its just so far down the list of their priorities that, along with no meaningful consequences for successful prosecutions, rank and file Gardai reach the conclusion that there's no point in bothering, better to have the chat driving around in the car instead of actually doing anything.

Anyone who's been on this forum for any length of time will have read stories and reports of Gardai just looking blankly at posters when they try to point out some blatant rule breaking that just occurred in front of their eyes. So not a surprise to anyone on here.

I just hope that they don't successfully dump all the blame on the rank and file. Nothing whatsoever will change if that happens. Lots of handwringing from those whose job it is to actually put in place effective policing will be about it. I would say I hope the media hone in on the actual root cause, but given that most people (let alone Gardai) don't really give a toss, the clicks won't be there so I'm not holding my breath.

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123688578#Comment_123688578

Ah you missed the public off the list. It won't change as theirs no political will, and there's no political will because of the electorate. We don't need gardai for a lot of offences, and could use ANPR/ Cameras etc, and this report should be just the excuse, but "shooting fish in a barrel, Joe…"

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123688733#Comment_123688733

Yeah, completely agree. It's an argument I've made countless times on here over the past few years. And been lambasted for on one occasion. We just don't like taking responsibility for anything, for being blamed for anything. We like pointing fingers… at bankers, lawyers, politicians, judges, gardai. But yeah, the media is a good barometer of what the public care about, and the lack of any outrage on this will be telling.

Edit: I will say though that sometimes you just need leaders to lead. To say things like "you know what, we need to put health warnings on tobacco products"… "we need to stop smoking in pubs and restaurants"… "we need to cut down on plastic bag use and waste" etc. etc. You'd think "we need to cut the carnage and lawlessness on our roads" would be a priority too, yet here we are.

Dr_Colossus

Case of a Garda Chief's sensible decision to refuse the PSV license renewal for a driver with multiple previous convictions (that's just the cases where he was caught and charged and thus likely a drop in the ocean) being overruled by a judge. If high ranking gardaí get such little support from the judiciary system can see why the rank and file get disillusioned with the whole process.

https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/crime---court/1860108/kilkenny-judge-reverses-licence-refusal-for-taxi-driver-with-careless-driving-convictions.html

tomasrojo

It's car brain all the way down really