BREXIT FEARS FOR KERRY CAR DEALERS
UK IMPORT SALES INCREASED BY OVER 50 PER CENT - JOHN BRASSIL
THE car industry in Kerry and across the country is on the brink of a major crisis as imports from the UK sky-rocket thanks to a severely weakened sterling.
It’s a trend that appears to be getting more entrenched, with UK imports increasing by 53 per cent between 2015 and 2016 alone. To date this year nearly as many cars have been imported into the country as were in the entirety of 2016.
The figures were obtained by Kerry Fianna Fáil TD John Brassil who is now warning of a ‘serious crisis’ coming down the line for the motor industry in Ireland.
In 2015, 45,454 vehicles were imported into the State from the UK, with 69,571 registered in 2016, figures Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe released in response to a question from Deputy Brassil revealed. This year, 69,439 UK imports have already been registered in Ireland in a worrying sign that the trend is accelerating.
“By the end of September, nearly the same number had registered as in the whole of 2016. This is a direct result of the collapse in sterling following the decision of the British people to vote to leave the EU,” Deputy Brassil said.
“Irish car dealers, new and second hand, are very fearful about what this surge in imported cars will result in. Even with paying VRT, it is in many cases, cheaper to travel to the UK and purchase a car there. The net result is stagnation in the sales of new cars and the bottom falling out of the second hand car market. Minister Donohue must urgently convene a meeting of stakeholders in the industry to develop a response to this wave of cheap cars with thousands of industry jobs now at risk.”