Joe McHugh TD
Fine Gael TD for Donegal North East, Joe McHugh, has today called for support and serious engagement from all relevant groups regarding the upcoming introduction of the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Road User Levy, which is due to come into effect from April 2014.
“The HGV Road User Levy, which is a UK based charge to be paid by all HGVs weighing 12 tonnes or more along UK roads, will be introduced in April 2014. This will affect not just Donegal hauliers who currently travel on roads in Northern Ireland in order to reach their destination throughout Ireland, but will also impact other industries such as farming and construction, which may now consider taking longer routes in order to avoid paying this levy.
“The cost implications for hauliers from the Republic of Ireland are significant. For those hauliers who apply before the April 2014 deadline it will cost (STG) £1,000 per year. Those who miss the deadline or can’t afford the yearly rate face a £10 charge for every day they use roads in Northern Ireland.
“There is also a concern about how this will affect consumers in Co. Donegal. The majority of food and goods brought into the County travel through Northern Ireland and the introduction of this levy could have a knock-on effect on consumers purchasing these goods as the suppliers look to cover the additional costs.
“In my capacity as Co-Chair of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly, I will be meeting with the Northern Ireland select committee and will be using this opportunity to raise this issue at the meeting. I will be engaging with Laurence Robertson MP (Chair of the Committee) and Neil Holland, Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy around the levy and I will also be writing formally to Mark H Durkan, Northern Ireland Minister for the Environment as well as the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, on this issue.
“This is a UK Government decision which affects Northern Ireland and in turn, will impact Donegal county more than any other in the Republic, due to our location and proximity with Northern Ireland. The Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar TD, engaged with his counterparts in the UK during the drafting of this legislation for derogation of the A5 Road, which unfortunately wasn’t included.
“This is a very serious matter which affects any business using large lorries who are required to use Northern Ireland’s roads and it is important that we get as many people around the table as possible to pursue all options available to us. This is why I have been engaging with as many stakeholders as possible in relation to this issue, including the Northern Ireland Department of Environment, the Irish Department of Transport, the Irish Hauliers Association and independent business owners who have grave concerns around the impact of this levy to their business.
“The Irish Road Hauliers Association have highlighted their concerns regarding the levy and the increased pressure this will put their members under. Due to the nature of this levy, hauliers travelling from Donegal to other areas in Ireland will have to incur higher costs than their counterparts, which will challenge their competitive nature and leave them at a disadvantage when competing with other businesses.
“The Northern Ireland Department of the Environment has issued a consultation paper; this is specifically for submissions regarding the introduction of a new fixed penalty and associated penalty deposits for non-payment of the HGV Road User Levy. The closing date for responses is Monday 3rd February 2014.”