Councillor criticises closure of Nutgrove motor tax office

The closure of the motor tax office in south Dublin will not save any money and will inconvenience its customers, a local representative has said.

The Nutgrove motor tax office, run by Dublin City Council, at Nutgrove Shopping Centre in the Churchtown/Rathfarnham area, closed yesterday.

All staff at the office were redeployed to other motor taxation offices in Dublin.

The Nutgrove office had been completely refurbished in recent years. An outstanding lease held by the council for the office in the busy shopping centre will not expire until 2020.

It costs the local authority €175,000 a year.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gerry Horkan said Dublin City Council had decided to keep two offices open, both in its own administration area, “while closing the only one that serves Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and a large part of south Dublin”.

Not everyone had access to online services, he said, and not all services could be carried out online. Anyone now wishing to use an office would have to “trek to Smithfield or Clondalkin”.

“No one has yet shown us any savings that will be made from the closure,” Mr Horkan said.