Reduction in Leitrim motor tax office hours will be ‘kept under review’

An increase in online transactions and renewals has led to a reduction in the opening hours of Leitrim County Council’s Motor Tax desk but this situation will be “kept under review” and revised if demand increases.
This came following a motion requesting an extension of opening hours for this service by Cllr Finola Armstrong McGuire.
At last week's meeting Carrick-on-Shannon MD, Cllr Armstrong McGuire noted that the service was not open in the afternoons and said “many customers must present in person and the afternoon may often be most suitable for them. It is stressful for customers to be turned away on arrival.”
She asked that opening hours be extended to 3 or 4pm in the afternoon.
A written response from the Director of Services, Housing and Community, Corporate Services, Cultural and Emergency Services noted that the opening hours of the Motor Tax desk have been reduced “due to the increased number of online transactions and renewals. In 2022, 80.2% of all motor tax transactions for Leitrim were carried out online,” it was noted.
However it was noted that, where a member of the public presents in the afternoon seeking to access Motor Tax services, “Customer Services staff will accept completed documentation and will issue Motor Tax discs and documentation to the customer by post in the next working day.”
Councillors were also told that the situation with opening hours of the Motor Tax desk “will be kept under review in line with the demand for access to the service.”
Cllr Armstrong McGuire said she was “happy with the response” but also asked that the service hours be extended if possible.
Cllr Des Guckian backed her motion and proposed that, as an addition, the Council also look to tackling a “very serious issue” for those living in the Drumlish area of Co Leitrim.
He said that when it comes to dealing with the motor tax office, they are told they should be presenting for tax renewal in the Longford Motor Tax office instead of Leitrim, because of their postal addresses passing through Drumlish, Co Longford.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Sean McGowan, agreed noting that he had heard of instances of this as well.
Following a query by Cllr Thomas Mulligan on the need for appointments to visit the Leitrim Motor Tax office, Head of Finance, Vincent Dwyer clarified that appointments were only necessary if a vehicle inspection is to be carried out adding that for general motor taxation queries no appointment is required.