The number of new cars licensed for the first time in August fell 31.8 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.
Some 6,822 new private cars were registered during the month, according to the Central Statistics Office, compared to 10,006 in the same month in 2007. In July 2008, 16,175 new private cars were registered.
The majority of the new cars licensed in August - 48.8 per cent - fell into band B of the new motor tax system implemented in July, which costs motorists €150 per year. Almost a quarter were classed as band C, 10.8 per cent fell into band D and 9.4 per cent were taxed under band A.
More motorists opted for diesel cars over petrol, with 3,904 new private vehicles using diesel, and 2,807 fuelled by petrol.
Numbers for the first eight months of the year are still down on last year, with 137,566 new private cars licensed during the period, a decrease of 16.4 per cent on the same period a year earlier.
Second-hand private cars licensed for the first time have increased by 4.6 per cent for that period, however, with 42,413 registered.
The number of new goods vehicles licensed in August fell dramatically, with only 1,425 compared with 3,272 a year earlier.
In total, 16,639 vehicles were registered, a fall of 24.8 per cent on last year.