HELPDESK Michael McAleeranswering all your questions
From M O'Connor: I was going to purchase a 2008 Ford Focus diesel registered in March 2008 in the UK, with only 50 miles on the clock.
The revenue have told me that I will have to pay VAT on on the car as well as VRT. They say that an imported car which is less than six months old and with less than 6,000km on the clock is treated as a new car.
People should be made aware of this or they will be in for a shock.
Thank you: you've just informed them. It's important that you check out the potential VRT before you buy a car abroad because it's too late once you arrive at the tax office in Ireland.
From J Sweeney: We are teaching our young cousin to drive, but someone has told us that the law requires you to hire a professional instructor and that as of this month she will not be allowed on the road without one.
Surely that is not correct? We have spoken to others, who say they simply do not know but have confirmed that the law will be changing in July.
To the first point: no, you do not need to get a professional instructor, although it is advisable to do so.
The rule is that only a registered instructor can be paid for teaching learner-drivers.
As for the rules regarding supervision, if she got her first learner permit on or after October 30th, 2007, then she must be accompanied at all times by someone who has held a full driving licence for at least two years.
The only exception to this is where the learner-driver holds a second provisional licence, but this is being discontinued from Monday week, June 30th.
It should also be noted that while she holds a learner permit (or provisional driving licence), she can't drive on the motorway. That law seems to be regularly ignored by drivers in this country.
From G Allen: Thank you for running the piece last week on the updated prices. The impact of the tax changes is becoming clearer now.
However, several car brands were missing from the list. Will they follow, or are you not going to cover them?
Surely the likes of Peugeot and Opel are worth a mention?
Last week we carried prices for all the major brands which had supplied the information to us.
This week, as you can see on pages four and five, we look at the premium sector, again dealing with brands that have prices available.
Next week we hope to return to the mainstream once more, and carry details on the remaining brands.
Overall, it seems the news is relatively good for consumers, although we must wait and see what impact these new prices will have on used prices.
Remember the golden rule: it's the cost of change that matters, not the new price or the good deal on a trade-in.
Don't be fooled by a good new price if you are actually paying for it through a rock bottom trade-in value.
From P Collins: Is there a new Opel Meriva due soon? Are there any other mid-range family cars you would recommend?
The new Meriva is unlikely to make it onto Irish roads before next year.
If you want to wait, then it might be worth it: Opel has already indicated some funky new styling for the Meriva, which will also have the new rear-hinged back doors that open backwards to allow easier access to the rear seats.
If you need something sooner than that, you should be able to pick up a run-out Meriva for a good price.
Alternatives include the Nissan Note and Renault Modus. Both are very nice to drive, particularly the Note, with its frugal 1.5-litre DCI diesel engine.
One other car that is well worth a look is the Skoda Roomster.
Its rather funky design is accompanied by a host of useful stowage features we have not come across in its competitors. If you do decide to go for it, choose the 80bhp or 105bhp engines.