The Ministry of Transport has initiated the first phase of financial support for vulnerable motorists whose vehicles were rendered inoperable due to the mandatory recall of defective Takata airbags.
The Department of Road Transport (TOM), in coordination with the Ministry of Social Welfare, processed the first one-off payments on Thursday, 18 December, fulfilling a 5 November Cabinet decision. The measure targets low-income families and individuals who have been left without transport after their vehicles’ roadworthiness certificates (MOT) were suspended due to unreplaced airbags.
Eligibility and payment structure
The financial aid is calculated at €100 for every week a vehicle has remained immobilised. To qualify for this initial disbursement, applicants had to meet several strict criteria:
- Timing: The vehicle must have been officially immobilised by 31 October 2025 or earlier.
- Compliance: The owner must have already scheduled a replacement appointment with an authorised dealer for no later than January 2026.
- Vulnerability: Support is limited to recipients of the Guaranteed Minimum Income (EEE), low-income pensioners, single-parent families, and large families (four or more children).
- Sole Transport: The claimant must not have any other registered vehicle in their name.
Distribution to vulnerable groups
The Ministry confirmed that funds for most vulnerable categories have already been deposited into the bank accounts registered with the Social Welfare Services. However, payments for owners of specially adapted vehicles for persons with disabilities are expected to be finalised within the coming days.
While the current payment covers the period up to 30 November 2025, the government has indicated that further disbursements will follow as the recall process continues. This financial aid is part of a broader support package that also includes free public transport passes for affected owners.
Background of the Takata crisis
The aggressive enforcement began in October 2025, when the Republic took the unprecedented step of cancelling MOT certificates for nearly 17,000 vehicles that failed to comply with the eight-month recall window. The move followed global reports of the Takata airbags deploying with excessive force, potentially spraying shrapnel into the cabin.
According to recent data from the Department of Road Transport, while over 63,000 airbags have been successfully replaced, thousands of drivers remain in a “queue” due to a global shortage of replacement parts. The Ministry of Transport maintains that the suspension of certificates is a “critical preventive measure” to protect lives, despite the significant logistical burden on citizens.
Read more: