Do your part ...

Victor

... cut unemployemnt, poverty and derivation among car salesmen.

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/3135613?view=Eircomnet

'Make VRT poll issue' call as car sales rise
From:The Irish Independent
Wednesday, 5th May, 2004

MORE people are buying cars than last year, new figures show.

New-car sales are up more than 8.5pc so far this year, which translates into 93,052 spanking new motors being registered.

The number bought in April was only marginally up. However, that was partly due to the fact that Easter was earlier this year. Easter usually marks a big increase in rental registrations.

Last year the rental figures inflated the April figures. This year they inflated the March figures.

On the basis that April 2003 was boosted by the rental market, the official Society of Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) figures for last month reflect a buoyancy. Registrations for the month were 15,962 (up 1.81pc).

Other factors influencing the growth in demand this year have been the brighter economic outlook, low interest rates and more people trading in cars from the 2000 boom year.

Toyota holds the number one spot in new-car sales, with Ford in second, Nissan in third, VW fourth, Renault fifth and Opel in sixth.

SIMI chief executive, Cyril McHugh, took the opportunity of the figures' release to underline a new phase in the battle against Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT).

He said: "The current VRT system operating in Ireland is blatantly in breach of the spirit of the Single Market in many ways, and the absence of a refund upon export is by far its most serious anomaly."

He cited EU Commissioner Bolkenstein's call for Vehicle Registration taxes to be phased out, adding: "Despite its presidency of the EU, the Irish Government has refused this request from the Commission."

The SIMI is now asking motorists to ask candidates for the European parliament elections if they are prepared to put further pressure on the government to phase out VRT.

Eddie Cunningham Motoring Correspondent

Bee

Excellent to see the increased profits being generated so our civil service colleagues and other social welfare recipients can avail of the mega levels of taxation sucked in from the car industry.

Bad to see important safety devices being left out of cars available to the Irish market due to penal levels of vrt.

Eitherways there is a genuine need to harmonise vrt levels across the EU

Over to you Mr.McGreedy!

Bee

P.S. I think its high time that all safety devices were zero rated I bought two new cycle helmets for my fast growing sprogs and wow! the prices are ridiculous!!!!