IRELAND: Long delays of weeks and months for NCT appointments; Motorists can avoid fines

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Dublin: The backlog of available appointments for NCT testing has worsened since the beginning of the year, with NCT having no appointments and waiting times ranging from 4 months to 6 months to see available dates at various centers. There are reports of motorists sometimes waiting up to 6 months for an appointment.

The fine for driving without a valid NCT certificate is €60 and increases to €90 if you don't pay within 28 days, plus three penalty points. No new instructions have been issued by the Motor Vehicle Department at present.

However, the Irish Times says:

“The RSA has made An Garda Síochána aware that some vehicle owners have had issues securing an appointment,” it said. “A member of the Garda may accept evidence that a test booking has been made but this is at the discretion of that member.”

Insurance Ireland has indicated that its members “will adopt a pragmatic approach” and that cover will continue to apply if vehicle owners provide evidence they have attempted to secure a test appointment before the expiry of their certificate.

Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe, who attended the meeting, said this was confirmed by a senior gardai after a joint policing committee meeting in Tallaght, Dublin last week, that motorists unable to secure an NCT appointment before their current certificate expires will not be fined once they book a test once their vehicle is roadworthy.

Following a joint policing committee meeting at County Hall in Tallaght last Friday, Sinn Féin TD Sean Crowe decided to raise the issue with senior gardai present. "After attending a joint policing committee at County Hall on Friday, I was able to speak to senior local gardai about the delays many motorists are experiencing in relation to the difficulties in getting an NCT appointment," continued Crowe. “I have had a number of local residents come to me worried that they will be forced to take their car off the road for fear of being stopped by a garda and not having a valid test certificate. I am very pleased to hear that the Gardai will take a general approach to people who have booked a test but are unable to secure an appointment for a date before their previous test ends. “All motorists with this condition should ensure they have proof of their NCT appointment in the car at all times.

However, Sinn Féin TD Shaun Crowe says all cars on the road must be passable and gardai will still be on the lookout for road traffic accidents such as damaged tires or missing lights. I recently wrote to Minister Eamon Ryan highlighting concerns surrounding weeks and months of delays in securing NCT appointments and the inconvenience this is causing for people trying to book. He informed.

NCT update

Insurance providers will be 'pragmatic and understanding' in their approach given the current NCT delays.

Insurance Ireland has stated that: 'Insurance Ireland members will be pragmatic and understanding in their approach to the current delays at the National Car Testing Service(NCTS). Cover will continue to be provided where customers, through no fault of their own, are unable to obtain their NCT due to backlogs at test centres.

Motor insurance and road traffic legislation require that motorists maintain their vehicles in a roadworthy condition at all times and this remains the case. Under the current circumstances, provided motorists make every effort to book appointments in the normal way, insurance companies will recognise that the current issue is not the fault of the customer.'

NCT and your Driving Test

One of the requirements of a driving test is to have a roadworthy vehicle with a valid NCT disc, if applicable. This is for your safety and the safety of our driver testers.

If you have an upcoming driving test appointment but your vehicle's NCT has expired within 3 months of your driving test, you must bring evidence of an NCT test appointment, or your driving test will not go ahead, and you will lose your fee.

Evidence can be an email, letter or text confirming the registration number of the car and booking number. If your NCT expired more than 3 months before your driving test, please reschedule your driving test booking through the My Road Safety PortalOpen in new browser tab portal.

NCT priority list

If you have a driving test booked and you're not able to get an appointment at your chosen NCT centre before your test date, you can call the NCT on 01 4135992 to get a prioritised appointment. The NCTS will do their best to accommodate you with a time and date that's convenient.

Your car can be tested up to 90 days in advance of its test due date without affecting the expiry date of the cert. This system is in place to ensure you have enough time to get your car tested before the current cert expires.

Credit: Echo, IrishTimes, RSA