1,500 sign Belmullet NCT petition as Mayo waits stretch into October

Over 1,500 people have signed a petition calling for a permanent NCT test centre to be established in Belmullet, as pressure continues to grow for improved access to vehicle testing in the Erris region.

More than 630 signatures have been submitted online, with the remainder collected in person at Michael Conroy Motors, where a petition is available to sign in the dealership’s reception area.

Michael Conroy, who launched the campaign, said the strong response shows the demand for a local NCT facility, with drivers currently facing lengthy waits for appointments and long journeys to testing centres in Ballina and Westport.

“It's a no-brainer,” he told the Western People.

Having seen the difficulties that drivers face when attempting to book an NCT appointment, Michael said the lack of a centre in Belmullet is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately.

The campaign comes as the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is actively assessing the future needs of the NCT network ahead of a 2030 contract renewal.

At a July meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, RSA Chief Operations Officer Brendan Walsh said there were not enough vehicles in the area to support establishing a permanent facility.

However, he indicated that the RSA is looking into whether mobile testing could provide a solution for areas like Belmullet.

Mr Walsh hinted at the possibility of bringing a “40ft truck and trailer that has everything in it” into the region to facilitate tests.

He said periodic technical mobile testing is carried out in other “jurisdictions across Europe and the world” and that the RSA wants to explore it “in the future”.

“The NCT model has served this country very well, but it is 30 years old. We need to look at how we do it for the future,” Mr Walsh said to the Oireachtas Committee.

Michael said that any move towards providing some form of NCT testing in Belmullet is welcomed, but added he would like to see the figures behind the RSA's assessment that there are not enough vehicles in the area to justify building a permanent centre.

He argued that a facility in Belmullet would not only make life easier for drivers in Erris but would also take some pressure off test centres in Ballina and Westport, where wait times are currently over two months.

Michael said that when he last checked the NCT booking system for Mayo, the earliest available appointment was in October.

The Western People checked the NCT booking system on the morning of Monday, August 10, and found the earliest available date at either Ballina or Westport was October 20.

“This is happening all over the country,” Michael said, explaining that other colleagues in the car dealership business are experiencing similar difficulties.

He noted that another business in Portlaoise he spoke to recently was dealing with the same issue.

The Western People also checked the NCT booking system for Portlaoise on the same morning but found no available test dates.

“The most worrying part about this is, if your car hasn’t got an NCT it’s not insured,” Michael said. “Unless your car is roadworthy and has a valid NCT, you’re not insured.” “The NCT is a vital process that ensures our vehicles are roadworthy, helping to prevent accidents and safeguarding lives,” he added.

Michael also deals with the impact of the limited NCT service through his own business.

He said the dealership uses test centres across Mayo, Sligo and Galway, depending on where they can get an appointment.

Michael also highlighted that a permanent centre would benefit the local economy in Belmullet by creating jobs and increasing footfall for other local businesses.

He said that the fact that people in Belmullet are travelling more than an hour to Ballina or Westport for appointments they have waited weeks for “is just wrong”.

He said the campaign is ultimately about securing a necessary service for a sizable rural population and reducing the need to travel such distances, particularly when people are already facing long waits for appointments.

“Our government has an obligation to address the needs of all citizens, regardless of their geographical location. Presently, the setup excludes a sizable population from easily accessing a crucial service,” he said.

The campaign has gained political backing, with Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson for Transport, Senator Mark Duffy, having raised the issue in the Seanad multiple times.

Senator Duffy has previously highlighted the distances residents in areas like Aghleam, Doohooma Head, Glenamoy and Ballycroy face, with some people having to travel up to three hours to and from the nearest NCT centres.

The petition has also received support from Mayo Fine Gael TDs Keira Keogh and Alan Dillon.

With more than 1,500 signatures now gathered, Michael is urging people to get behind the campaign and help demonstrate the level of demand that exists for opening an NCT centre in Belmullet.

He acknowledged that the petition alone will not determine whether a centre is opened, but said that strong public support will help to build a case for further discussions with the RSA and other relevant stakeholders.

“I know from a business point of view the numbers have to add up, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t,” he said.

“County Louth has two NCT centres, and the Erris region is bigger than County Louth. Just give us one centre. It’s a huge area,” he said.