Surge in new car sales boosts Exchequer coffers

Over 10,000 more new cars have been sold in the first six months of this year than in the entire of 2009, new figures indicated today.

Date from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) showed 67,846 new car sales from January to June, generating €60m more for the Exchequer than for the same period last year

Some €430m in VAT and VRT has been collected from new car sales so far this year, SIMI said, with over 21,000 more cars sold than for the six months to June 2009.

“Undoubtedly, this significant improvement in registrations has been greatly assisted by the government scrappage scheme," said SIMI spokesperson Suzanne Sheridan.

"We predicted that with the stimulation of scrappage, 70,000 cars would be sold this year, but we are nearing that figure just six months in.

"This increase in business activity is already having a positive knock-on effect to the wider economy in increased government revenue and job protection in the motor industry.”