asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals, if any, to introduce a motor vehicle testing system in this country, if so, when an announcement in this regard will be made, who may apply for a licence to carry out such inspections, and if any preliminary work in this regard has already been undertaken.

Member states of the EEC are obliged, in consultation with the Commission, to introduce a harmonised system of annual vehicle testing not later than 1 January 1983 for specified categories of vehicles, such as large public service and commercial vehicles, taxis and ambulances. Arrangements are being made accordingly and when these have been completed, I will have a public announcement issued in the matter. I have already expressed my intention to have testing extended to private cars as soon as may be practicable, but priority has to be given to the testing of the classes of vehicles covered by the EEC directive.

In regard to any regulation the Minister will in due course announce, particularly as regards private motor vehicle testing, can I be assured that the criteria laid down will be such as to allow a very wide range of interests to apply for a testing licence, or whatever will be then appropriate?

A testing centre, yes.

I just want to be sure that the testers will not be restricted to a very small catchment area or a very short list of possible testers.

No, they will not be.

Could I ask the Minister if any contacts have been made at this stage, with any particular garages, for example, with a view to ascertaining whether or not they would meet the criteria the Minister might seek?

Inquiries have been made through the local authorities.

Could I ask the Minister what criteria the local authorities, acting on behalf of the Minister, would use in approaching these garages for the purpose of being involved in this testing?

They would want to be garages that could be depended upon.

For what?

For the testing. At the moment I am not in a position to announce any details. I will do so but naturally inquiries have to be made of the motor industry because they will have a direct involvement.

Is it not somewhat extraordinary that a system has commenced already in so far as preliminary investigations are concerned, through the local authorities—thereby making it virtually public knowledge—but that nevertheless the Minister finds himself unable to amplify, for example, the criteria the local authorities have been asked to apply to the garages?

The principal one would be to assess their capability to carry out the tests which would be involved with regard to personnel and equipment. That would be a very important one.

Are these criteria publicly available?

If the Deputy is interested I could let him have the guidelines at least.

I should appreciate that because it has been indicated to me that there is some reason for concern about the degree of selectivity involved. I shall not say any more than that until I see what the Minister has to communicate to me.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Am I right in thinking that the time allowed by the EEC directive for bringing in these regulations was extended?

To 1 January 1983 for these categories of vehicles.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is that an extended date? What was the original date?

That is not an extension as far as I know, but that is the deadline.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I have a feeling it is an extension.

Is it not correct that the criterion about which Deputy Keating was speaking is the one that has been in operation over a number of years on the specimen testing being carried out? Is it correct that it will be the State itself that will be carrying out the test, not private garages? Would the Minister say if any estimate has been made of the up-to-date cost of this operation for the whole country because such an estimate was made a few years ago, when the cost was found to be colossal?

I have not got the estimate of the cost with me. I should point out also that it is the harmonisation programme of road worthiness within the EEC. That has to be taken into account.

What about the first part of the question? Is it the garages or the State who will be testing?

There will be supervision by the State.

Who will be doing the testing?

As of now, while I am not ready to make a detailed announcement about who will be doing the testing, they would want to be satisfied that they are capable of doing it.

Of course they will be State employees.

Can the Minister not say? The garages are going to do it and the Minister has not the details——

I said the people doing it would have to satisfy themselves——

But Deputy Keating asked a simple question and the Minister has not answered it.

I have answered the Deputy.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Will the Minister make sure the scheme will not be dropped after a year or so?

It is an EEC scheme.

(Cavan-Monaghan): That would not prevent its discontinuance.