Posted online: Aug 30th, 2010

CALLS HAVE BEEN made to reverse plans for those availing of commercial vehicle tax to sign a declaration not to use their vehicle for domestic purposes.
Deputy Jack Wall describes the move as “yet another attack on rural Ireland.”
He said he found it “unbelievable that a time when those lucky enough to own a vehicle were finding it hard to keep it on the road, the Minister has targeted them with yet another stealth tax.
“People in rural Ireland and indeed in our urban centres need to use their vehicles for whatever work or commercial purposes they can obtain in these difficult times, to demand of them that they sign on in their local garda station not to use the same vehicle for domestic purposes is hard to believe. In an extreme situation it could mean that a pregnant lady cannot get to hospital at that all important hour, however at its most basic it could also mean that instead of improving our carbon footprint, reducing vehicle numbers, it will increase it as some people may be forced to purchase another vehicle to do such daily tasks, as dropping children to school or collecting those all important food stuffs.
“This crazy initiative needs to be reversed, rural Ireland is under enough pressure, we need to create the conditions to employ these people instead of taxing them and forcing them to give up a vehicle that potentially could create employment for them.”