Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 October 2025
74. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 510 of 29 July 2025, if the member of the public can seek a copy of the report of the investigation into his complaint, the CCTV footage that was used to form part of the report and the responses of the personnel involved (details supplied). [53023/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in my earlier response, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the operation of the National Car Testing service under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 and neither I nor my officials are involved in the service at an operational level or in individual cases.
I have therefore referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
Pending this more detailed response, the National Car Test is accredited to International Organization for Standardization standards. All NCT Inspectors are fully qualified mechanics who undertake an intensive three-week training programme delivered through classroom, practical and online training methods. All staff complete Code of Integrity training upon recruitment and on an annual basis thereafter. On-site and annual training programs are delivered every year to staff to brief them on new technologies.
The service is also subject to a stringent regime of independent audits and inspections carried out by the AA. More than 99 per cent of tests reviewed are deemed to be fairly and correctly assessed. A dedicated internal audit team is in place to manage allegations, investigations, and complaints. This involves random surprise audits to review vehicles that had just completed a test. Auditors repeat critical elements of the test and identify if there are any discrepancies with the original test result.
