Pa Daly
Ceist:321. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of a situation (details supplied); the measures he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70929/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 11 December 2025
Ceisteanna (321)
Freagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware, under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 and associated vehicle roadworthiness regulations, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Car Testing (NCT) service. As Minister, I have no function in respect of operational matters. However, my officials have engaged with the RSA on various aspects of the NCT service including quality control and monitoring. The NCT is designed for a particular purpose, which is to ascertain does a vehicle meet certain roadworthiness tests at a point in time.
Delivery of the NCT service is currently contracted out to a third-party supplier, with the contract managed and overseen by the RSA's customer operations directorate. The service is 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.
The Deputy may also wish to note that the NCT 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 programmes are delivered every year to staff to brief them on new technologies.