Motor industry warns against adverse tax changes

Close to 100,000 new cars are due to be sold in Ireland by the end of the year, bringing in tax revenue in the region of €220m.

The total for the year so far is 93,186, which is 20,000 more than the whole of 2013, an increase of 30% on last year, and fuelling industry expectations that well over 95,000 vehicles will have been bought by the end of 2014. New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the sale of new cars rose by 34.4% to 4,376 in September compared to the same month last year. The number of new goods vehicles — considered a reliable indicator of how the economy is faring — jumped by 52.8% to 1,485.

The increased September sales follow a 61% rise in July and 31% increase in August.