New legislation to facilitate increased sharing of collision data and end the need for paper motor tax discs
- Foilsithe:
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 15 Aibreán 2025
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, and Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, Seán Canney, have welcomed today’s Government approval for formal drafting of the National Vehicle and Driver File Bill 2025.
The Bill will provide the necessary legislative basis to facilitate the flow of information so that local authorities, in their role as road authorities, may request, receive and process road collision data from both the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána.
This data will enable road authorities to target areas where collisions are more prone to occur with investment and infrastructure. Investing in safer roads is aligned with the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 and broader EU Safe Systems approach to road safety.
Additionally, the Bill contains provisions to allow for the abolition of the requirement to display a motor tax disc. With the widespread deployment of Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, An Garda Síochána already has immediate digital access to motor tax information. This legislation will remove the now unnecessary validation of tax compliance with a paper disc.
The legislation also updates access arrangements to the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) to reflect General Data Protection Regulation requirements, and removes end dates for declarations of non-use of a motor vehicle. The NVDF is the central register of vehicles and drivers, a database maintained by the Department of Transport. The NVDF is widely used by state agencies, including the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána, for a variety of road safety purposes.
The Bill also contains a minor technical amendment to the Road Traffic Acts in relation to the setting of speed limits.
“I am pleased to have secured approval from my Cabinet colleagues for the formal drafting of the National Vehicle and Driver File Bill. Passage of this Bill is a key road safety commitment in the Programme for Government and will ensure that local authorities have direct access to collision data when undertaking investment. The legislative amendments in respect of the National Vehicle and Driver File will also facilitate greater real-time access to the database by An Garda Síochána in future, assisting with enforcement and contributing to safety on our roads.”
Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien
“I welcome the decision of Government today. Passage of the NVDF Bill will contribute to road safety through infrastructure investment and enforcement, and will also bring improvements and efficiencies for drivers. Among these are abolishing the requirement to display a paper motor tax disc, and allowing for open-ended declarations that a car is off the road. The abolition of paper motor tax discs is part of a wider project to remove the need to display paper discs in windscreens, and I look forward to supporting the legislation through the Oireachtas in the coming months.”
Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, Seán Canney
Notes
Last year, a Ministerial Order under Section 8 of the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 was signed to allow for the sharing of collision data between the RSA and An Garda Síochána. This Bill builds on this data flow by ensuring that local authorities can receive collision data from either the RSA or An Garda Síochána for the purposes of informing investment decisions.
The operation of the NVDF is GDPR-compliant, with data-sharing agreements in place with the relevant bodies and with appropriate internal controls on data access. However, the relevant legislation underpinning access is being updated and strengthened by this Bill.
As well as the provisions in this Bill removing the requirement to display a motor tax disc, work is ongoing in the Department in relation to the requirement to display paper insurance discs and certificates of roadworthiness. These are provided for in secondary legislation and are being worked on in parallel with the Bill.