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Hi Margaret,

In theory, as a disabled driver, you’re allowed to be exempted from, or able to receive a rebate of, both VRT and VAT on a new car purchase, and the VAT on any costs of conversion to suit your needs. However, right now while the tax relief scheme is not suspended, the issuing of Primary Medical Certificates is — thanks to a high court ruling that has thrown the system that assess people for PMCs into confusion. It’s hoped that the scheme will be back on track soon, but the short answer is that we don’t know when that will be.

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Hi Tony,

As far as we are aware, only the items that failed the van in the first test will be re-checked, though of course, if a tester notices the ABS light, it might fail on that. And at the end of the day, the van's roadworthiness is your responsibility, so you really should get the ABS sorted, regardless of passing the test.

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Hi David,

OK, this one could be a bit of a problem. We’ve asked Mercedes about this but so far no-one there has been able to track down a correct or reliable figure. The problem is that the law states "If satisfactory evidence of NOx emissions cannot be provided the following maximum charges will apply: For Diesel vehicles that is €4,850.” Which is a lot of money.

If the car comes with an original certificate of conformity (unlikely) then the NOx figure may well be on that, but it was not a figure that many took much notice of in the nineties. Perhaps the best bet would be to wait until 2023, when the car will be 30 years old and then you can import it as a classic?

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Hi Abel,

Well, the tracks are actually always turning, driven by a chain, but when approaching steps, the wheelchair user presses a button to lower the tracked wheels, which then take over until up or down the steps.

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Hi Catherine,

You’ll probably get a very broad mix of quotes. Some companies will like the fact that you’re an older driver, with a relatively low-powered car, and assess you accordingly. Many others will simply look at your lack of an Irish driving history (and won’t take your Canadian history into account) and will simply try to charge you an absolute fortune.

Our advice would be to track down a good local insurance broker, who may well be able to help you find a better deal than you’d find yourself. Criteria? That would be expecting the Irish insurance industry to be open and transparent, and that’s simply not going to happen...

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Hi Mike,

Unfortunately, Revenue and the VRT process are inexplicably cruel in this regard. You have to pay the money before you appeal, but the good news is that more than 50 per cent of appeals are successful. It would be helpful to find some expert in Japanese vehicles (and I would suggest tracking down a garage that imports them regularly) to give you their opinion on the value, as Revenue is legendarily awful at coming up with reasonable values for unusual cars.

As for the NOx charge, I would ask for a statement in writing from the VRT/NCT office that you brought the car for inspection before January, but were told to come back afterwards. That might (emphasis on the might) get that waived when you make your appeal.

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Hi Aime,

As ever, welcome to the wonderful world of Irish car insurance… You’re totally within your rights to be able to use a van as a private car, and actually you’re doing the right thing by registering it for private use, and informing your insurer. Many people just break the law by driving a commercial for private use without ever paying the extra tax or informing their insurer. If you’re struggling to find cover, I would track down a good local broker — they’re usually much more clued into the market than the call-centre staff of insurance firms, and can often find deals that we mere mortals can’t.

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Hi Kris,

The problem is that Irish insurers are a bit blunt-force when it comes to deciding their rates, and generally speaking (and completely erroneously) they simply tend to go by engine size. So even though there are plenty of older 1.9-2.0-litre diesel engines with similar power outputs to a more modern 1.6, they’ll probably quote you more just because it’s a bigger engine. Stupid, but then that pretty much sums up the insurance industry in Ireland. All I can suggest is either biting the bullet and getting a 1.6 that maybe you’re not as keen on, or finding a really good local broker who can help you track down quotes that us mere mortals can’t find. 

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Hi Ed,

That is an answer that will vary massively depending on which model of car you’re talking about. There are some Hyundai i30s and Kia Ceeds from around that era that came with a 1.4 diesel engine that would be hugely economical. You might be able to track down some Peugeot or Citroen models (a 2008 would be a good choice) with a 1.4 HDi diesel engine that’s good on juice, too. There’s also the Toyota Corolla or Auris D-4D, or if you don’t fancy diesel, the same cars with the 1.33-litre VVTi petrol engine, which was not too thirsty.

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Hi Mark,

It would certainly have an immobiliser and alarm, but unless someone has fitted a third party GPS tracker, then it's unlikely to have that. It would not be standard.