This is a subscriber-only article
Both contractor and farming organisations have objected to the wording of new legislation on the controversial NCT-style testing for tractors.
Draft wording of the new rules presented by Department of Transport officials at today’s meeting would exempt farmers but bring agricultural contractors into the net for testing.
Both the IFA and the contractors’ organisation, PAC Ireland, voiced their opposition to the proposed wording.
IFA’s environment chairman, Thomas Cooney, said the draft wording “does not fully reflect either the spirit or the intention of the EU directive that governs this area.”
He told the Irish Farmers Journal: “It still does not take account of the full range of the everyday activity carried out around the farm on the farmers’ behalf.”
The Department of Transport agreed to withdraw a regulation last November following IFA’s objection to duplication of standards testing and road worthiness certification.
Difficulty
Tom Murphy of PAC Ireland said his organisation welcomed the removal of the 25km from base restriction contained in the previous Statutory Instrument.
However he said there was difficulty with the interpretation the Department of Transport’s legal team placed on the term “agricultural contractor”, saying this implied the agricultural contractor was under contract to the farmer and was therefore not considered by them to be part of the agricultural sector.
“This would mean that agricultural contractors using a T5 on the public highway would require an NCT,” said Murphy.
Amendments
He referred the officials to the fact that two previous Directives relating to the requirement of tachographs in tractors and carriage of nitrates, were amended to take into account the role of agricultural contractors.
“These amendments are a clear indication the EU recognises that agricultural contractors are an integral part of the agricultural sector”.
SHARING OPTIONS: