The arrival of the NCT resulted in a marked increase in the number of abandoned cars. According to Martin Daly, officer in charge of abandoned vehicles with Dublin City Council, 4,188 cars were abandoned in 2000, a rise of about 700 from the previous year. The number is falling however, and is expected to be about 3,000 this year, as people become more aware of the service standards required of cars by the NCT.
As second-hand car values have fallen, garages have become increasingly reluctant to have them on their forecourt, Daly explains, which leaves many owners of older cars unable to sell them on. Many will give them to licensed scrap dealers to be disposed of legitimately. Some however simply strip them of identifying marks and leave them for others to deal with.
"There are cars dumped in every part of this city. Some are burned out in fields, some are left in car parks and others are simply parked outside other people's houses," he says. This latter category can prove quite a problem, as residents often presume the car is being parked by visitors to one of their neighbours.
The council goes to great lengths to ascertain ownership and, where appropriate, to prosecute against illegal dumping. It is currently taking a case against an alleged dumper whose actions were seen by an eye-witness - a garda.
Given the lengths that some people go to in dumping their car, it is surprising to learn they could have disposed of it legitimately and at no cost. Anyone living in the Dublin City Council area who wishes to dispose of a car which has reached the end of its road need only contact the Council and it will be removed free of charge.
Considering you have to pay to get your bins collected in many parts of the country, it's a great service. The council is currently considering a scheme whereby it might sell on parts of the car prior to scrapping.
A car lover himself - and the proud owner of a 3.5 litre 1986 BMW 635 which he sourced and imported from Britain - Daly comes across some gems. He recently got a call from a woman who had two Jensen Interceptors she wanted to dump.
Loathe to treat such a classic marque in this way, he put her in touch with a classic car club where, even in their poor state of repair, they were viewed as a valuable commodity.