Budget boost for German motors

ONCE again we have seen how easily a gullible government can be duped by sectional interests into using taxpayers’ money to fund the purchase of consumer goods – ie, cars.

This was done on the pretext of “reducing potentially dangerous cars on the road,” according to Finance Minister Brian Lenihan.

Well, wake up, minister – we have had an objective NCT test here for the past 10 years for all older cars. The second mantra of the car barons is, of course, their unquestioned trump-card, “reduced emissions”.

Well, any car produced for the past 15 years or so is a very low-level polluter and its continued use is environmentally more sustainable than squashing it and introducing a new model with 20,000 worth of carbon footprint in its making.

There is no gain for Irish jobs in this move. We don’t make cars ... this is a subsidy for Germany, France and elsewhere. The few remaining gentlemen in suits in the glass emporia of the big dealers will shift whatever is bought in quick time ... game over. The people who will be tempted to purchase, I suggest, will be mainly “marginal” buyers whose money would otherwise have been spent on purchases most likely of greater benefit to the economy and jobs here.

The basic philosophy of subventing an industry by subsidising premature destruction of its goods is flawed. Why not squash old fridges then if new ones are a bit better on energy use or, for that matter, let’s have a scrappage scheme for the old three-piece suites while we’re at it. To their credit, some people have called it right on this issue, notably Ciarán Cuffe, Richard Bruton and Seán Healy, but alas to no avail.

Ted Neville

‘Turnberry’

Carrigaline Road

Douglas

Co Cork