A PUBLIC SAFETY CRISIS: Dangerous Failures in Ireland’s Vehicle Inspection System!
We, the concerned citizens of Ireland, demand immediate action to address the widespread failures of the National Car Testing Service (NCT), operated by Applus+(www.applus.com), and the lack of accountability from the Road Safety Authority (www.rsa.ie), the Independent Appeals Board (www.theaa.com), the  Department of Transport, and the Minister for Transport. These failures are putting the lives of Irish road users at extreme risk.

Legal Framework: EU Directive 2014/45/EU and Irish Law

The National Car Testing system is required to comply with EU Directive2014/45/EU, which was transposed into Irish law through S.I.No.415/2017 - Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations 2017. This directive sets out strict standards for vehicle inspections, ensuring that all tested vehicles meet essential safety and environmental requirements. However, widespread failures in the NCT system demonstrate clear breaches of these regulations.

My Story: A Systemic Failure Endangering Lives
I purchased a vehicle from a garage that had been 'freshly' certified as roadworthy by the NCT. However, the car had severe chassis crash damage, making it completely unsafe for the road.

How could the NCT, an institution meant to ensure vehicle safety, certify a dangerously unroadworthy car?

This is not an isolated case—this is a widespread and systemic failure that is endangering lives daily. If unroadworthy cars are being legally cleared to drive, how many accidents and fatalities are directly linked to these failures?

(Watch my interview on RTE's Prime Time  and read the Irish Times article detailing my experience).

Key Breaches of NCT Legislation; The NCT is legally required to:
• Set minimum technical standards for vehicle inspections.
• Conduct rigorous inspections of safety-critical components like brakes, steering, tyres, emissions, and structural integrity.
• Fail vehicles with dangerous defects and mandate repairs before allowing them back on the road.
• Enforce accountability, ensuring that only roadworthy vehicles pass the test.
Despite these legal obligations, my personal experience—and that of many others—proves that the NCT is failing.

What’s Going Wrong?

• A Massive Public Safety Breach The NCT is certifying unroadworthy vehicles as safe. This is not a clerical error—it is a direct and imminent threat to every driver, passenger, cyclist, and pedestrian in Ireland. How many more unsafe vehicles are on the road due to NCT’s negligence?
• A Failure of Oversight The RSA, tasked with ensuring that Applus+ and the NCTS uphold strict safety standards, has failed catastrophically. Who is holding them accountable? Why are these dangerous lapses being tolerated?
• A Corrupt and Broken Appeals Process The IAB dismissed my case without transparency, justification, or explanation. This broken system protects itself while leaving consumers with no recourse for justice. If the appeals system cannot be trusted, how can we trust the NCT at all?
• Shifting the Blame onto Consumers Instead of admitting failures, Applus+, the RSA, and the IAB deflect responsibility, telling consumers to arrange pre-purchase inspections. But why should Irish citizens have to second-guess the NCT—the very system designed to certify vehicle safety? This is a blatant abdication of duty.
• The previous Corruption Behind the NCT Contract Renewal The renewal of the NCT contract with Applus+ is deeply concerning. Given the history of bribery and corruption involving NCT staff, we demand urgent answers:

• What safeguards are in place to prevent further corruption?
• What criteria were used to justify Applus’s contract renewal?
• Were alternative service providers considered? If not, why?
• How does the new contract address past incidents of bribery and systemic misconduct?
As public safety is at risk, we cannot afford secrecy. The government must disclose how and why Applus+ was awarded a renewed 10 year contract despite its history of failures.

  Media Reports Confirm a Dangerous and Broken System

• RTÉ Prime Time Investigation by Paul Murphy My Story click here 
• Irish Times Report by Neil Briscoe My Story click here 
• Irish Times Report by Neil Briscoe Another Fresh Case click here 
• Irish Times Report by Gordon Deegan  NCT Operator rejects proposed penalties for not meeting contract requirements

Corruption 

• February 2025 The Irish Times Report by Neil Briscoe; How did a car too dangerous to drive pass the NCT?
• February 2025 The Irish Times Report by Neil Briscoe; NCT faces fresh accustion of passing unfit car as safe (Coincidentally again at Deansgrange test centre?)

Historical Corruption

• March 2017 The Journal Report by Sonya McClean; Two men jailed for passing cars in NCT scam
• November 2015 RTE News; Three former NCT employees in Court over bribes
• December 2011 Irish Independent Report by Treacy Hogan; Eight NCT employees who were suspended following bribery allegations have been sacked
• May 2011 The Irish Times Report by David Labanyi; Three Staff at NCT operator sacked 

• August 2024 The Irish Examiner Report by Tadgh McNally & Michelle McGlynn; Taoiseach backs move to remove responsibility for testing and licensing from RSA 
• August 2024 The Irish Examiner; View: Change in the RSA can't come soon enough 
• May 2024 The Irish Independent Report by Gordon Deegan; NCT firm hits weekly 1.75 Million Euro as testing backlog row raged
•  
• June 2023 The Irish Times Report by Cormac McQuinn; Test Delays Are "Absolutely Unacceptable" Says Minister  
• 2018 The Journal Report by Cianan Brennan; NCT Contract worth 650 MILLION EURO up for grabs for TEN YEARS to 2030 with Euro 6.5 Million profits previous year 
• June 2023 The Irish Times Report by Gordon Deegan; NCT operator rejects proposed penalties for not meeting contract requirements

What Needs to Happen NOW?

1. A full investigation into how unroadworthy vehicles are being certified under Applus.
2. Transparency from the IAB, including the release of their findings and decision-making process.
3. Immediate action from the Minister for Transport and the Department of Transport to overhaul the NCT process and enforce strict accountability.
4. A review of the NCT contract renewal process to ensure fairness, transparency, and public safety.
5. The RSA must ensure Applus+ operates to the highest standards—or terminate their contract.

Call to Action: Demand Change NOW!
Sign this petition and share it widely. 

The more voices we have, the louder our demand for change.

Together, we will hold these institutions accountable and make Ireland’s roads safer for everyone.

 If you have a similar experience please share it so we can strengthen our campaign! 

#RoadSafety #RSAFailures #NCTS #Applus #AccountabilityMatters #DepartmentOfTransport #PublicSafetyCrisis