There were 70 new cars sold in Laois in September, exactly double what was sold in the same month in 2019, according to figures released from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).
The Coronavirus restrictions have meant that garages were closed for a section of time this year and car sales fell dramatically in March, April and May.
But they have recovered somewhat in the four months since even if the overall figure for Laois for 2020 so far is still almost 13% lower on the same period in 2019.
There was 70 news cars registered as sold in September in Laois, which compares to 35 in the same month in 2019. And that figure is well up on the stats from previous Septembers.
There was 37 sold in September in 2018, 44 in 2017 and 45 in 2016.
In all this year, there have been 1,141 new cars sold in Laois compared to 1,308.
Nationally there was a 66.3% increase in car sales in September though in the year to date, there has been a 28.5% decrease in overall sales.
SIMI have re-iterated their call to the Government to reduce VRT in the upcoming Budget.
“September represents the first month this year to see an increase for new vehicle registrations, which can be attributed to catch up from the previous eight months of declining sales,” said Brian Cooke, the SIMI Director General.
“Year to date, a far more accurate barometer, sees a reduction for the fourth consecutive year leaving new car sales at recessionary levels, merely 50% of what we should be achieving in a normal functioning new car market.
“January 2021 will see a taxation change for our Industry, the biggest change to VRT and Road Tax since 2008.
“The 2008 change coincided with the recession, causing a collapse in the new and used car market with close to 15,000 jobs lost.
“With the duel threat arising from COVID and BREXIT, we simply cannot have the same destabilisation of the car market again.
“A more burdensome VRT regime will undermine both the new and used car markets, making new cars more expensive, impacting on used car values and slowing our fleet renewal.
“This will inevitably lead to a fall in employment and undermine viable family businesses.
“What we need to see in the Budget is a taxation reduction that will support the new car market and which will be environmentally positive. This will protect jobs, businesses, renew our fleet and reduce emissions.”
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