I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 27, 28 and 29 together.
The Finance Act 1992 (as amended) provides for the registration of vehicles, the charging of vehicle registration tax and the assignment of a unique identification mark to each vehicle upon registration and obliges the vehicle owner to ensure their vehicle displays a plate matching the mandated format, county, and character specifications. The Vehicle Registration and Taxation Regulations, 1992 (as amended), set out the detailed requirements for the format of vehicle registration plates.
As indicated in my answer to the Deputy’s Parliamentary Question No. 486 of 17 February 2026, Parliamentary Question No. 35 of 25 March 2026 and Parliamentary Question No. 804 of 7 September 2026, the issue of non-compliance with the legislation related to vehicle registration plates is of cross-Departmental policy relevance, having regard to the role that correct vehicle identification has in the areas of road safety, law enforcement, and vehicle taxation.
The potential for additional regulatory measures regarding licence plates is currently being considered on an interdepartmental basis by a working group comprising of representatives of the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Transport and An Garda Síochána.
The manufacture, printing or supply of registration plates is not specifically regulated under current law. The potential of addressing the problem of the use of false or non-compliant registration plates through a regulatory regime for the production and supply of plates was considered previously. It was concluded, at that time, that such controls would not be effective given the relative simplicity and widespread availability of technology that could be used to manufacture registration plates.
I understand that a range of ideas – including those in the Deputy’s questions regarding potential regulation of the manufacture, supply and purchase of vehicle registration plates, the maintenance of records, the availability of such records to An Garda Síochána for enforcement purposes, and possible changes to the currently prescribed manufacturing standards – to counter the use of false and altered registration plates are all being actively considered by the inter-departmental working group. As part of its work, the group is examining international best practice, to consider the experience of other jurisdictions, including Spain, regarding the effectiveness of the operation of different regulatory frameworks and solutions.
When the group has concluded its work, it will set out its recommendations regarding suitable measures to improve the effectiveness of vehicle identification regulation in the State.
